In Season
by silrayn silverwolf
Summary: Male youkai go in season every 5000 years...*shounen ai, implied yaoi* Run, Sanzo, run! Hakkai's on his way, so's Gojyo and Goku, too. Surprise pairing...
1. the Picnic

**Title: **In Season 

**Author: **silrayn silverwolf 

**Genre: **Humor, Romance 

**Disclaimer: **Gensou Maden Saiyuki is owned Minekura Kazuya, Enix, etc.****

**Pairings: **5 x 3, 9 x 3, 8 x 3, Kougaiji x Sanzo, and well a lot of 8 + 3 ^^ 

**Warnings:** PG13, absolute cheesiness, some OOC (hey, it's not called _"in season"_ for nothing. ^^;), TWT (Timeline? What Timeline? ) 

**Credits: **To Lori McDonald who wrote Koorimes in Heat (Yu Yu Hakusho). I'm borrowing her concept in this, with her permission. You guys should read it, it's really funny.****

**Teaser:** Male youkai go into rut every 5000 years...Run, Sanzo! Run! Hakkai is on his way…and so is Gojyo, and Goku![1] 

**In Season**   
SAIYUKI FANFICTION

  


__   
_A little known fact about youkai is that every five thousand years male youkai go into a weeklong mating frenzy. Male youkai behave almost like stags in the springtime. They chase their potential mate with single-minded determination. They are fiercely jealous and are willing to fight to the death over a female or a human male. _

_Those knowledgeable in such things speculate that such behavior is caused by a particular alignment of the planets. Others postulate that it is part of the instinctual legacy of the youkai. Whatever the source of this aberrant behavior is, it is not important. What is, is that all witnesses agree that it is considered most hazardous to both comely humans and female youkai to be within viewing distance in such a...delicate...time.___

A scroll entitled   
Youkai Trivia 

  


**Part 1 - The Strange Picnic**

The Sanzo-tachi was sitting upon the grass of a forest clearing. They were having a picnic type lunch. Sanzo was leaning on a tree that shaded the clearing they were in. His blond hair was a sharp contrast to the black bark, purple eyes shadowed with more than thought. He was tempted to push his robe down in the sweltering heat but it would do nothing for the dignity of his position. The town they were to go to next was just a few miles away but Goku had complained more incessantly than usual. They had decided to stop and eat before they strangled him. Hakkai was getting the last basket of food in from the jeep since they could get more in the next town, which was just two or three hours away. The two of them have had their fill but the "trash compactor" and their redheaded companion were still arguing over food. 

"Hey, you idiot kappa, that's my rice ball your stealing!" Goku shouted. 

"It is not, you monkey. I saw it first!" Gojyo replied. 

"Is not?" 

"Is, too." 

_That's it...I've had it..._

Sanzo snorted and took out his fan of discipline and whacked them both. Goku's puffed up brown hair got flattened a bit and Gojyo rubbed his face which reddened so much from the hit that it almost matched his red eyes. 

"Sanzo-sama!" Both arguing parties shouted but continued where they left off. 

"That piece of chicken's mine!" 

"No, mine." 

Sanzo sighed. 

_What's the use...!_

Sanzo gave up. It had been the fortieth time today that he had smacked Gojyo and Goku with the fan. It hadn't worked; the fan was looking decidedly worn out and he bought it just yesterday. 

_They're in a strange mood today._

Not that Gojyo and Goku didn't get into strange moods but they were odder than usual. 

"They're lively today, ne?" Hakkai asked. He had put the basket down on the grass and was now leaning on the second tree next to the one Sanzo was leaning on. Small beams of sunlight played on the youkai's chestnut-colored hair. His ever-present smile was a little wider than usual. Sanzo conceded that he looked striking like that, more handsome than usual. 

_Scratch that thought..._

Sanzo hastily tried to scatter his attention amongst his companions. They were all good looking in their own way. Gojyo with his smirking good looks, long straight pinkish-red hair, red eyes and lanky frame and Goku with his childishly bright and large brown eyes and puffed up hair and small wiry frame could hold their own in any crowd. For the matter of fact, so was he. 

_But--what's it with everybody today?_

"Hn." What else was Sanzo going to say to that? 

"Sometimes I wish that I can just let go and be as open about my feelings as they are, don't you?" 

_What's come over this baka all of a sudden? And I thought he was the most sensible of these three..._

"What? Be like those baka over there?" The indignation and Sanzo's voice made Hakkai chuckle. The tone said, "Have you lost your mind?" quite clearly. 

"Nothing." 

"Hakkai, are you laughing at me?" 

"No, Sanzo, not at all." The pine-green eyes twinkled at Sanzo belying the words. 

_Hmmm. What to make of that?_

Out of the blue, something snapped into place. 

Sanzo started at the unexpected silence that descended upon the clearing. All conversation had fallen off all at once, leaving a vacuum at its wake. He felt a hot breeze stir around him as he saw that all three of his companions were staring at him. He coolly pushed his sweaty bangs out of his eyes in a well-disguised nervous gesture. 

_I really must request robes of lighter material for summer wear..._

"Ne, Sanzo..." Gojyo drawled in a voice that made Sanzo's hackles prickle in response. 

_Or maybe not..._

"What?" Sanzo asked warily. 

"Sanzo, would you like the last mochi?" Goku interrupted. That gave Sanzo a pause. 

_Goku sharing the last piece of food in the meal... Is he sick?_

"Do you find me sexy?"[2] Gojyo purred, ignoring Goku's statement. 

_Wha--?_

Sanzo was so startled at the statement that he would've fallen if he weren't leaning on the tree. 

"You perverted kappa, Sanzo doesn't like you like that!" 

"Oh? And who are you to say you under-grown ape?" The question was openly taunting. 

"I've known him far longer than you, you idiot!" Goku shouted, jumping onto Gojyo thereby precipitating a brawl and one that was, almost instantly, covered by a dust cloud. 

The cloud obscured the fight but a fist or a head would occasionally pop out now and then. If Sanzo were only less controlled than he was, he would've screamed, stomped off and be done with the lot of them. 

Sanzo wasn't sure how long they were at it before Hakkai interrupted his thoughts by clearing his throat. 

"Ne, shall we leave them to finish their scrap? The day is not getting younger. We need to get to the next town after all." Hakkai asked. His smiling expression was normal but his eyes glittered with a disturbing light. 

"Aa." Sanzo assented, finding nothing wrong with the statement per se. 

_What is wrong with everyone...?_

This had the desired effect of stopping the brawl. 

"Wait, I'm going with you." Goku said. 

"Let's leave the ape-runt. He can walk." Gojyo said. 

"We'll leave both of you. Maybe the hike can cool down your tempers." Hakkai said sweetly. 

"No, let them in the jeep." Sanzo would've agreed with the statement normally but he felt rather disturbed by the way the green eyes were wandering over him. He wasn't used to being looked over like that by the monocle-wearing youkai. It made him shiver in apprehension. 

_It's just Hakkai...you fool...you're not afraid of Hakkai aren't you...? What is it with everyone today?_

The same question repeated again in Sanzo's mind for the nth time that day. 

"I want to drive!" Gojyo said. 

"How about riding with me at the back, Sanzo-sama?" Goku asked. 

_Sanzo-sama?_

"No, he's going to ride with me." 

"And I'm the driver, no switching." Hakkai said in a friendly enough tone but his smile looked frozen on his face. 

"Yare, yare, everyone in their usual place." Sanzo finally said whacking the two noisy idiots with his fan. It didn't escape his notice that Hakkai was wearing an all-too-contented smile. It made him want to whack the off-brown haired youkai as well but he resisted the impulse. Hakkai would just apologize for the lapse and Sanzo wasn't in the mood for the youkai soft toned apologies that went on forever. 

"Sanzo-sama!" Goku and Gojyo sounded almost pleading. 

_What's with--oh, never mind!_

Sanzo stopped the question in mid-thought. It didn't help one bit in his situation. 

_Maybe I should have them checked out by someone? They could be sick or something..._

**~TBC~**

  
  


**Footnotes:**

[1] A parody of "Run, Samson! Run! Delilah's on her way…" from an old song 

[2] I am mixing my series. Tokyo Babylon - This is what Seishirou-san said to his Subaru-kun in one of the manga translations by Leareth Rogue, I couldn't resist, I thought this phrase was just right for Gojyo. By the way, Subaru tripped in reaction to the statement. 

**Author's Notes:**

So how is it? ^__^. Anyone liked it? Feedback is soul food to fan fiction authors! I'm currently working on: 

=> Raven's Pendant (Weiß Kreuz-Yu Yu Hakusho - Reincarnation Thingie) - nearly ready to post - chapter 6 

=> Kitsune Ku (Weiß Kreuz - Ayan-kitsune Thingie) - still having troubles with chapter 6 

=> This Time Around (Tokyo Babylon-X/1999-Yu Yu Hakusho - Kurama/Subaru Fusion Thingie) - starting on chapter 1 

=> Before the Dawn (Weiß Kreuz - SchuAyaCrawford Triangle) - working on chapter 3 

=> A new One-shot story for the Yu Yu Hakusho fandom - nearly done to post 

=> And...and...ARGH!!! My RL thesis is going nowhere! *snarfrufrufruf - pops into wolfy puppy form and tears a copy of her thesis with her jaws* 

I go where the inspiration and reviews take me! 

NEXT: The jeep ride from hell or is it to hell...?*evil grins* 


	2. Jeep Ride to Hell

**Author's Notes: **Thanks to folks for the reviews. The warm welcome in the fandom has inspired me! This has come out much faster than it would have otherwise. Thanks to mjj at the saiyuki_yaoi list for correcting my sleepy spelling. 

**Additional Pairings: **(More like a triangle) Kougaiji x Yaone x Dokugakuji 

**Spoilers: **Anime series 

**In Season**   
SAIYUKI FANFICTION

**Part 2 - Jeep Ride to Hell**

Sanzo felt like he had entered another dimension. He sat besides Hakkai feeling very put upon. The monocle-wearing youkai was pressed to him while the two fools out back were arguing. 

"Nyah, I'm sitting behind Sanzo." Goku said, sticking his tongue out at Gojyo. 

"I'm going to sit behind him. You've had your turn, monkey." Gojyo returned. 

Now and then, Sanzo felt an errant hand brush against his neck but he was too busy trying to mask his reaction to Hakkai to do anything about it. He noted distractedly that Hakkai was giving the two noisy youkai as many dirty looks as Sanzo normally would have if he weren't trying to squirm away from the other. He had tried to move away at first because of the discomfort it brought. He wasn't the touchy-feelie sort. He never liked being crowded and liked his personal space wide but now he inched away because it was comforting in an upsetting sort of way. 

_Though it is kind of nice sort of the warmth to it... No! No attachments, it's better this way. Besides, it's just an accident. He must not be noticing how close he is to me...is everyone under a spell or something?_

It awakened the need for closeness that Sanzo usually repressed was back in full force. 

_No one's ever been as close as this except for my master...and that was different..._

Komyu Sanzo, the previous Sanzo, also was not a touchy man. He would at best pat his charge on the shoulder in approbation when the youngster did something right. Contrary to the rumors that had flown from ear to ear in the monastery, his master had never slept with him. Their relationship had been more of a father and son than anything else had been. Besides, Sanzo himself didn't like being touched much. It was ingrained in the blond monk's being but sometimes... 

_Sometimes, I wonder what it would feel like to be held...Is it like this--to feel wanted and--and-- _

Sanzo interrupted the thought before it could go to things best left alone. He had seen other children being hugged or carried by their parents. He never really envied them but there was the wondering all the same. 

_Baka! It's just Hakkai, he's probably just feeling nostalgic for Kana or something..._

Sanzo's odd musings were rudely interrupted though as the noise level finally escalated to the point that the he couldn't ignore it anymore. 

"Urusai!" Sanzo yelled. He was about to use his gun at the quarreling idiots, when suddenly he felt Hakkai's arm go around the small of his back and the jeep gave a frightening lurch. Both Gojyo and Goku were too busy fighting to set themselves properly. They went flying over Sanzo's and Hakkai's heads over the windshield and into the waiting river. [1] 

"Gomen nasai, I just realized that this was here. We need to get to the bridge south of here to make the crossing." Hakkai apologized as usual. 

It took Sanzo sometime to recover from the touch. For all its hardness, it made his breath catch. For a fleeting moment, he felt protected rather than protector. When he recovered, he went out to help Goku to shore. 

Hakkai even had the good grace to push out a particularly long branch to help Gojyo back to land since the half-youkai couldn't swim. Yet Sanzo could swear that there was a flicker of something like laughter in the mild-mannered man's eyes. It disappeared so fast that the corrupt monk couldn't be certain. Besides, he was also busy helping Goku to shore. He fastidiously tried to keep his robes dry while Goku seemed determined to get them wet by association. 

Gojyo sputtered, choking out what could be half the river that he managed swallow. Hakkai wore an angelical expression while thumping the pink-haired man on the back, _hard_. 

"You did it on purpose!" Goku accused as he wrung out his cape. 

"What gave you the idea, Goku?" Hakkai asked innocently. 

"At least, you two fools have cooled down. Let's get back up on Hakuryuu and get going." 

"Ne, I think I have to get out of these wet clothes before I catch a cold." Gojyo drawled, recovering enough to give Sanzo a wink. 

"Good idea." Goku said gleefully, it was the first time he had agreed to something the Gojyo had said. 

_Uh...oh, this is getting weird...seriously..._

Gojyo held out one end of his vest and sensually took out one of his arms then did the same with the other, chest muscles flexing. He unzipped his fly and hooked his fingers in his waistband and--and--Sanzo looked away disturbed. Unintentionally, he blond monk's gaze landed on Goku. 

_I have no wish to see that..._

Goku frowned at Gojyo. He began to divest himself of his clothing a little faster than Gojyo but definitely flexing his muscles as sensually as Gojyo was doing. He dropped his cape with a twist. His wet shirt went over his head with deliberate precision caressing the tight stomach muscles, and then he--Sanzo averted his gaze again to the ground this time where he knew it was relatively safer to be. He fought not to blush for the first time in years. 

_I have no wish to see that, either...never to wish to see that..._

He was fond of the noisy monkey but not in that way, never in that way. Goku was more like a little brother to Sanzo than anything else though he would never publicly acknowledge it; it was hard enough to recognize it privately to himself. Flirtation coming from Goku was several degrees more distressing for him than when Gojyo tried to pull moves on him. 

_Pull moves...passes...that's it... Somehow, all of my associates are trying to get me into bed! Is this some sort of practical joke? _

Suddenly, Sanzo felt a touch at his shoulder and nearly yelped. 

"Ne, Sanzo, look at--" Gojyo purred. The pink-haired youkai was so close the monk could almost feel the warmth of the naked flesh upon his side. 

Thwack. Whack. 

Sets of clothes whacked both Gojyo and Goku on the head. Gojyo fell towards Sanzo in a controlled drop. The monk deftly avoided the pink-haired half youkai who fell on the ground instead. 

"Your spare clothes, Gojyo, Goku." Hakkai said, still smiling artlessly. [2] 

"Put them on and let's get going." Sanzo ordered. His embarrassment made his voice sharp enough to cut steel. 

"Ne, Sanzo we have to get dry!" The two half-naked youkai whined. 

"I could ask Hakuryuu to get you both dry if you like." Hakkai said as he chucked the dragonet under the chin. Sometime between Hakkai and Sanzo had gotten out of its jeep form and Hakkai getting the clothes, Hakuryuu had transformed and was now perched on the youkai's shoulder. The dragonet blew a small fireball at the suggestion. 

_He'd do it too..._

Of the four of them, Hakuryuu was most fond of Hakkai. The threat cowed the other two and they got dressed. So they were off again. 

*** 

In the room they rented for the night... 

"Let's play strip poker." Gojyo suggested after a heavy meal. 

"No." Sanzo refused. 

_There's no telling what would happen if I played strip poker with these people tonight... Hopefully, it'll blow over by morning and they'll be back to their old selves..._

"Hai. I'm for it." Goku enthused. 

"Aa." Hakkai added. 

It was the most bizarre game of strip poker Sanzo had ever seen. 

"Hey, runt deal me a good one this time." 

"You won the last hand." Goku was stripping his pants off trying to be slow and deliberate about it though Sanzo was _not_ looking there. 

"Aa." Hakkai concurred. He took his shirt off naturally without artifice, a thing that made Sanzo stare all the more. The wound that never healed was a gash of bandaged white on the stomach but even with that he looked fit. Sleek muscles undulated naturally and without prompting as he shifted to arrange his cards. 

Sanzo shifted uncomfortably from where he stood. 

_He's--he's--_

The blond monk was suddenly filled with the desire to pull the monocle-wearing youkai over the bed and kiss that lovely expanse of skin. He wanted to run his hand over those smooth muscles and see if they were as firm as they looked. 

_Best not think of that..._

It wasn't the first time Sanzo had felt something like this for a man but he had usually been able to keep it to fantasies. His cold aloof manner had been enough to keep everyone at bay but not now, not if his three companions have anything to say about it. 

_Maybe I should just give up... No, it wouldn't be good. If nothing else, it'll be bad for team discipline... Yeah, tell yourself that..._

"Ne, Sanzo, have you changed your mind about playing?" Gojyo asked testily interrupting the thought. Sanzo was torn between thanking him and running away. The pink haired youkai was also bare-chested. The predatory way he flexed his muscles made the blond monk pale and think ridiculously naughty thoughts. Though not as bad as what he'd been thinking with Hakkai since he already had a chance to look the pink-haired youkai earlier that day. 

_I'd love to touch... What are you thinking? You're starting to think more like a slut than a monk lately... Well, it's not surprising given the way that they've been acting around me lately. No attachments remember? Why should you care how they behaved? Well, I'm human, made of flesh and blood. Of course, I'd still notice their bodies with how they act around me, only a god wouldn't be tempted..._

Sanzo hoped that he could sleep without embarrassing himself that night. 

"I won again. Are you sure, you two aren't rigging the cards?" Gojyo complained. 

_I've never seen three people so determined to lose at poker before..._

The absurd thought almost cleared Sanzo's head of the fog of sexual preoccupation. Almost. Hakkai had lost again and was stripping his pants. The youkai was wearing boxer shorts that left much to the imagination and the blond monk had much imagination. 

_He's certainly a big boy... _

Sanzo fought not to drool. Powerful thigh muscles moved with silken precision, it made him wonder what better moves those can be put to. 

"How far are we going to go with this?" Gojyo purred. 

"All the way?" Goku asked. 

"No thanks, I'll fold." Hakkai said. There were loads of meaning to his innocuous smile as he looked into Sanzo's eyes. 

Sanzo suddenly felt as if he was standing on tentacles instead of legs and sat onto the bed they were all to share before he fell down. 

_Did he mean what I thought he meant? I'm disappointed. I wanted to see him naked... Hold that thought..._

The purple-eyed blond nearly choked as Hakkai sat beside him to the disapproving glares of both of the others. 

"I think, I'll fold, too. We have a long day's travel tomorrow." Gojyo drawled. 

"Hai me, too." Goku added. 

Sanzo found himself suddenly surrounded by a surfeit of half-naked youkai bodies. 

_It's going to be hard to sleep..._

*** 

Meanwhile, somewhere far west of the town in a clearing in the thick forest... 

"Yaone, don't you like me?" 

"Kougaiji-sama!" Yaone said, desperately trying to get out of his gentle but surprisingly strong grip. 

_What on earth happened to Kougaiji-sama, he's never like this. He's always the gentleman and never tried anything on me..._

"Kougaiji-san, it's not fair to hog the fair maiden just because you're our lord. Besides, she likes me better than you." Dokugakuji growled as he punched Kougaiji away from Yaone. 

"Oh." Kougaiji said, arching his eyebrow. That's all it took. Dokugakuji was on him with fists flying. 

_And Dokugakuji would never even try to fight Kougaiji-sama ever...Strange..._

*** 

In another part of the forest... 

"Oniisama! Oniisama!" Lilin shouted. 

_Where did Kougaiji-niisama go? I so wanted to help him fight Sanzo-san and his party... They're so fun...._

*** 

It had been another sweltering day in the hothouse atmosphere of the jeep. Sanzo was already fed up by the situation he found himself in. 

Hakkai had been as close to him as before. Though the youkai hadn't done anything else, it had been ten times worse after having those rather interesting dreams about Hakkai and Gojyo in during the previous night. For all he remembered only bits and pieces of them, he was very relieved that he didn't speak in his sleep. 

_Or I think I didn't talk in my sleep... Of course, I didn't... I would've caught hell if I did by now..._

Sanzo calmed himself with the thought that the others would have told him off if he had done so. He was also very glad that the others were wise enough not to comment about any sounds and movements he might have made while dreaming. 

_That's the first time I've had such a wild and vivid dream like that... _

The purple-eyed blond was sure he made some embarrassing sounds that night. 

_Maybe I should just leave them behind... They're not getting any better. In fact, I could swear that their passes have been steadily getting more blatant... Just one more day, if they don't improve..._

Sanzo went to the inn with his fingers crossed. 

"There're enough rooms for all four of us." Sanzo announced with relief as he led his group up the stairs. He couldn't trust himself to sleep with any of his teammates tonight. 

_Who knows what I'll let slip this time?_

Sanzo didn't think he could survive the embarrassment. 

_I might not be able to sleep for fear of letting something slip..._

"Ne, Sanzo didn't you say that we're not suppose to be alone because of that incident with Kougaiji." Gojyo reminded him. 

"Hai. At least in pairs." Goku seconded the motion. 

"Aa, in pairs. I'll be your partner this time, ne? It's hard to sleep with the monkey. He snores." Gojyo added. 

"No, he's going to pair up with me!" Goku said and was immediately bopped on by the fan. Gojyo looked smug at this. 

"No, I think we can risk it for one night. I'm tired of seeing your faces when I wake up." Sanzo rejoined. It was a convenient excuse. He _truly_ didn't want to sleep with _any_ of them. 

_They really aren't back to normal... I need to see someone trustworthy about this--problem--we've been having but whom can I find on short notice? Maybe I should meditate on this?_

"Oyasumi nasai." Hakkai said, nicely summing it up as they went to bed. 

_Odd, he didn't object..._

Sanzo thought the green-eyed youkai would be the first to argue for the pair sleeping arrangement, considering that Hakkai had the right to be his partner in that situation. 

_Well, at least he can control himself unlike these two baka..._

The two fools concerned were making no secret of their disappointment and continued to pester Sanzo until he took the Fan of Discipline to their heads. Sanzo's regard for the silent youkai rose two notches. 

_He, at least, knows a lost cause when he sees it... _

*** 

Sanzo got out of his robes and went to bed in his black undershirt. He felt really tired. Dealing with sex-crazed youkai was more tiring than fighting with Kougaiji and his bunch of misfits. 

_Maybe I should just shoot them...but the Three Aspects wouldn't be pleased. They did say I needed the fools for the mission... If this is what it takes to get the Holy Sutra out of youkai hands then I'll do it. Though letting youkai bed me is too much to ask... _

The blond monk sighed and drifted into sleep. 

*** 

Sanzo crawled out of the depths of sleep as he heard noises, breathing and shifting of a body on the bed with him. Feather-light touches on his arm and chest woke him further. Groggily, he got his Spirit Ascending Gun out from under his pillow and pointed it instinctively at the intruder in one swift motion. 

"Sanzo! It's just me." Goku said. He was clad only in shorts. He had been rubbing himself on the blond monk. 

"Explain." Sanzo commanded. He didn't appreciate being roused out of his well-deserved rest. 

"Anou---Sanzo, have you been kissed before?" Goku asked, ignoring the gun pointed at him. 

_Huh?_

Sanzo was too thunderstruck to answer. Goku's lips quickly descended on the beleaguered human. The monkey's mouth tasted of the sweet rice cakes the youngster was eating for desert. The tongue pushed into his, tangling about his own. Involuntarily, warmth pooled in Sanzo's stomach. He didn't know how long it lasted before a cursing body hurled at the youkai knocking him way. Disgust seeped into his mind as he processed what had just occurred. 

_Goku just kissed me--and--and--not only did I let him--but--but--I enjoyed it..._

It was as effective as a bucket of water in cooling his abruptly galloping libido. 

"Baka saru, horning in on my time! Let an expert show you how to do it." Gojyo smirked. He was now the one towering over the monk. He was lowering his face over to Sanzo's. His hands were already wandering over Sanzo's chest in hard touches, making the monk's skin tingle. The warmth was back in alarmingly increased intensity. In the moonlight, the hard planes of the half-youkai looked even more enticing. His smirking visage softened by the dim lighting or did it? 

_He's not smirking as hard as he does... _

Sanzo felt his pulse accelerate and his breath come in short pants. 

_I have to end it before it gets too far...it's only repressed hormones... Yeah, keep telling yourself that..._

"Stop this at once." Sanzo said shakily. He pointed his gun at Gojyo until he backed off, one finger at a time. 

"Come on, Sanzo. You're no fun." 

"Get. Out. Of. My. Room. Now." Sanzo bit out, still shakily aiming his gun at both of them. He was having a hard time holding onto his composure. 

"Come on, I know you enjoyed it, too." 

"Yeah, Sanzo." Goku added. 

"Back off, runt, go and find a playmate your mental age." 

"Hah!" 

Gojyo jumped on Goku and the brawl was on. 

Sanzo decided it was a lost cause. He gathered his robes then opened the door to get out of the room. 

"Sanzo, don't go." Sanzo had looked back involuntarily at that and saw Goku's puppy eyes going wide. 

Ordinarily, that would have gotten to Sanzo but this time it just made him want to go all the faster. He got out of the door in record time and closed it behind him. 

_What's with them? They're as bad as rutting bulls..._

Of course, that wasn't the end of it... 

Crash! The door banged open. Both half-dressed youkai clung onto Sanzo like leeches. 

"Get off of me! Get off!" 

Crash! They all fall to the floor in an interesting tangle of limbs and bodies. 

"I didn't think your tastes were so kinky, Sanzo." 

"Argh!" Sanzo yelled, he contemplated asking for help but... 

_Who's going to be able to help me? Hakkai? What kind of help is he going to give me?_

Without warning, Sanzo got the image of Hakkai in a Prince Charming costume and carrying him away from all this on a white stallion. It was no doubt prompted by the way Hakkai had been acting lately. 

_Okay, he's as bad as the two of them..._

*** 

Back to the ill-fated inn... 

Sanzo struggled to get out of the tangle of limbs. The accidental and not so accidental touches that resulted from his attempt made the tightening below his stomach worse. 

_Maybe I should find some willing human company? Don't be ridiculous..._

Sanzo reprimanded himself. At long last, he managed to stand up but he was still in trouble. Along the way, the two had gotten latched onto him again. He pushed Gojyo and Goku away from him with his arms. They refused to budge. He kneed Gojyo and concentrated pushing the monkey away. He got them to loosen their holds. He kicked out. Gojyo and Goku flew on opposite sides of the hall. The walls shuddered and some planks splintered. 

Crash. Bang. Smash. 

Sanzo finally got rid of the two clinging idiots and started to run. 

"Hey, wait for me." Goku said. 

Gojyo sputtered clutching at his groin but managed to latch onto Sanzo's waist. 

_Here we go again..._

The other inn patrons were treated to an extraordinary show that night with Sanzo tried to escape the grasping glomps of the two youkai. The noises and the damages resulting were horrendous. 

*** 

Sanzo finally got out of the inn. He looked around wildly. He was fast running out of options. It wouldn't take Gojyo and Goku long to recover from the knocks he had to deliver to get completely free of them. 

_Where can I go for the night? Besides I can't leave them without provisions and without money... _

The blond monk was the one who held the Three Aspects' gold card. Then he spotted the familiar jeep at the side of the inn. 

_Strange, Hakuryuu should be in his dragonet form..._

Sanzo didn't question his good fortune. He swung himself into the driver's seat and revved out of the yard he left a whirlwind of displaced grass behind him. 

_It'll just be for the night...so that I can have enough rest away from them to avoid their attentions in daylight... I wonder what caused it... Gods help the person responsible...if there is someone responsible for this...when I catch him--I'll--I'll... _

Sanzo stopped well north of the town in a stand of trees that prevented him from being seen in the road. 

_Ah! Safe at--_

"Nice, romantic place, ne?" A familiar smiling voice asked mildly from behind him. From under the back seat, Hakkai's head and torso popped up. The off-brown hair was some disheveled and the monocle was a little off kilter but the youkai was remarkably nonplussed. 

**~TBC~**

* **NC17?** I'm putting this one to a vote. If anyone wants a LEMON in this fic, type AYE in your reviews, those who don't type NAY. Mind that I'm not that good as a lemon writer. ^^(). You may put in your review, which pairing you want the lemon for but I'm not guaranteeing that since I already have a general plan for this fic. Creative requests will earn points, pointing out from the story's perspective why I should give a lemon to the pairing is better, if I decide to have a lemon that is. ^__^. No two youkai males should be together is the limitation. 

**Author's Notes (Important to read for the direction of the story):**

[1] Never piss off the driver. Wheeeee! * Silrayn does it like the Star Rangers' enemies. (It's a suited-up children's show that have enemies in faceless black throw themselves off and shout this--Oh dear! --I'm showing my age.) * 

[2] I have a feeling I'll be running out of synonyms for innocently/harmlessly soon. ^^;   


* Who do you, folks, think is the most underhanded of the three (Gojyo, Goku or Hakkai)? ^^; I think Hakkai wins, hands down, don't you? 

* There's going to be a surprise pairing somewhere in this fic. Hint: It's straight! BWAHAHAHA! I am very, very evil. 

NEXT: Out of the Frying Pan and into the fire...* wolfy grins* 

**Answers to Reviews for Part 1:**

- I hope you guys liked this part as well as part 1, the parts tend to be short and action-oriented since I haven't watched the entire series yet...^^; 

- Yes, pray for Sanzo, I'm sure he'll appreciate it. ^__^ Will he survive? Maybe, maybe not! (Hmm, I feel like Eegri from Tanya Huff's The Last Wizard ^^;) 

- NC17? I'm not sure, I think it might since there is going to be sex in this...^^. See above note. 

- I don't think Hakkai is freaky... He's just subtle. ^^; It's the quiet ones you got to watch out for. When they go off the deep end...* flashes fangs starts chasing her own shadow *   
  


**Progress Report (for only those who read my other series):**

=> Raven's Pendant (Weiß Kreuz-Yu Yu Hakusho - Reincarnation Thingie) - working on chapter 7 - maybe next week? 

=> Kitsune Ku (Weiß Kreuz - Ayan-kitsune Thingie) - still having troubles with chapter 6 ^^ 

=> This Time Around (Tokyo Babylon-X/1999-Yu Yu Hakusho - Kurama/Subaru Fusion Thingie) - working on chapter 1 - used too much oomph in Raven's Pendant chapter 6 must recoup on this 

=> Before the Dawn (Weiß Kreuz - SchuAyaCrawford Triangle) - still working on chapter 3 

=> As if I don't have troubles enough, I'm also considering doing the next story in the Dark Prism Universe Arc (Dark Side of the Mirror Arc - Weiß Kreuz - "Aya is an Empath and Schwartz" Thingie) while I'm feeling depressed and useless. Shall I write Fujimiya Danjuro's story--Refractions of Darkness? Of course, this only concerns some of the readers...^^() Teaser - Fujimiya Danjuro hated his father for choosing Schwartz and Brad Crawford over him. Or did he? 

  



	3. Out of the Frying Pan

  
**Major non-canon alert: **I have been waiting for more of Yaone's past before I wrote this part but decided to create one instead... Plus, the relationship between Yaone and Dokugakuji... Gomen to ze canon nazis...don't hurt me? >_ * Twitches her wolfy tail, goes pleading sparkly-eyed, flattens her wolfy ears and grows puppy paws like Tsuzuki from Yami no Matsuei* 

**Spoilers: **some for Yaone but is confused with non-canon stuff. 

**Warning: **OOC for lack of sleep, hee! 

**In Season**   
SAIYUKI FANFICTION

**Part 3 - Out of the Frying Pan **

Sanzo turned around so fast that he could've gotten a whiplash injury. As frayed as his nerves were, he nearly jumped out of the jeep as he pointed his gun at Hakkai. 

"Ne, Sanzo, don't worry. I'm not going to do anything to you." Hakkai said, looking injured at the assumption. Sanzo didn't believe him one bit. Hakkai was a past master at looking harmless, proven again. 

_Butter wouldn't melt in his mouth... Yeah, right...and I'm as holy as they say I am...until they know me..._

"I'd rather not take the chance, thank you." Sanzo said wryly. He carefully got out of the jeep, backed away slowly and started to run. 

"Ne, the woods aren't safe. I can feel youkai auras..." Hakkai called out. 

_I think I'll take my chances with strange youkai...thank you... At least I can fight them honestly..._

*** 

Meanwhile, somewhere in the woods... 

Yaone sighed as she sat upon a pine tree. She was fast running out of water. It was very tempting to go down onto the forest to find the dragon and go home into the palace. She wondered if it was safe now to go down when a voice drifted from down the forest floor... 

"Yaone-chan, where are you?" Dokugakuji shouted. 

"Yaone?" That was Kougaiji. 

Then a few thumps and crashes, a fist striking somebody else… 

Yaone sighed. 

_Okay it's not safe to come down..._

She remembered what it took to get to subdue her comrades last night. She wasn't going to do it again. 

*** 

Yester-night... 

"Yaone, how would you like to walk with me in the moonlight?" Kougaiji asked. 

"Why would she?" Dokugakuji bit back. 

"I'm asking her not you." 

Thwack. Whack. 

"Sumimasen, Kougaiji-sama and Dokugakuji-san." Yaone said, as she looked very embarrassed over the still forms of her comrades. Tired of their constant bickering the blue haired girl had knocked them both over with butt of her spear. 

_Maybe they'll be normal tomorrow morning... Hope springs eternal..._

Not that Yaone had that much hope. That's what she'd been hoping for the past two days since her master and fellow retainer had been fighting. But what else could she do? 

_I wonder if there's some sort of chemical in their system that's making them act this strangely? Maybe an aphrodisiac? But I could have sworn that they didn't eat anything that we didn't prepare ourselves. Airborne? Something in these woods? Maybe I should try to get them out of here and they'll behave normally again. _

Yaone hoped that that was it. She hated to lose Kougaiji-sama because of something as trivial as this. Besides, Doku had been quite a friend since they had been serving together in the palace... 

_I will not have them killing each other over me... I'm just not worth that..._

Her eyes inadvertently fell on Kougaiji-sama, she remembered being held in those strong arms when she had so carelessly tried to end her life for failing him. She remembered... 

_Feeling of strength that was there for her to lean on...a commanding voice that told her she had worth and she was cared for…_

Yaone had been alone for most of her life. She didn't remember her parents, if she had parents at all, just the streets. The mean streets, she learned to survive by thievery. One day, she had managed to impress on of her marks and the man took her home as an apprentice-bodyguard. He had been a rogue chemist who trafficked in illegal drugs and explosives as well as legit substances but in his own way he had been honorable. He had Yaone trained to fight and able to survive without him. It was a good thing, too. For only a mere two years, the man's sins had caught up with him. One night, he didn't come back from one of his dealings. Yaone never found out what happened. 

_Assassins, maybe...or a deal gone sour... _

It was of no matter, really. What mattered was that she was alone again... 

_He might not have been much, but he did care for me in his own way..._

Yaone had tried to look for him for a month but hadn't been able to find even a clue to his whereabouts. 

_Everyone I care about seem to die or leave me..._

She decided then to fend off for herself and was caught six months later. Kougaiji-sama had come in like an angel to rescue her from the horrible fate that awaited her in the 100 Eyed Devil's hands. She didn't wonder her loyalty to her lord. 

_Kougaiji-sama is so good to me... _

Or her dedication to his cause... 

_I was willing to die when I thought I had failed him... After all, I do owe him my life...and he care for me…_

She couldn't doubt that after that incident with Huang Long 'mercenaries'. She had been careless, captured and beaten. Still, she knew that Kougaiji-sama would come for her. 

_A shame it was that he had to rescue me but still…_

She remembered walking through the burning carnage in the camp, the sound of her name echoing with desperateness in _his_ voice and wondered… 

_All this for me… Oh, Kougaiji-sama I swear I'll never fail you again…_

Then she and Hakkai-dono had met her Prince. The tender concern in his eyes was almost more than Yaone could bear. She acknowledged then that she meant more than just a retainer did to her Prince, more than Yaone, the chemist. 

_He actually cares for me…_

Still, Dokugakuji had been the first friend Yaone had. Not master, but equal... 

Doku and she had the responsibility of guarding Kougaiji-sama's back. He had taken hits for her and she had for him and more... 

*** 

"Gazing up at the stars?" A gruff voice said behind Yaone. 

"Aa." Yaone replied, not knowing what to say to this giant of a youkai who served Kougaiji-sama. He was as faithful as she and was in the inner circle of the Prince's confidence. 

"So what do you want to be?" Dokugakuji asked, when the silence stretched. 

"A faithful retainer of Kougaiji-sama's." 

"Is that all?" 

"What do you mean?" 

_Is he testing my loyalty? I haven't done anything to betray Kougaiji-sama...and certainly not to that uppity bitch..._

Yaone thought frantically. She knew well enough the intrigues of court that swirled around the Gyokumen Koushi and Kougaiji-sama. 

"Oi, don't take it like that. We're probably the only two people here that Kougaiji-sama can be certain of to watch his back. I'd like us to be friends. I see you following our Prince around along with me and wonder what does Yaone want for Yaone?" 

That was unexpected. The astonished silence stretched out yet again as delicate as the spun starlight thread of a shooting star hanging in the night. 

"Me, if I had a chance... I'd have stayed to take care of my younger brother. He's such a troublemaker..." Those words and in the wistful look in Dokugakuji's eyes as he looked into the starry night sky touched something in Yaone. It filled and warmed a place that she never thought existed. 

"I never had any family." Yaone volunteered, surprising herself. 

_Why did I...do that?_

It was easy enough to live day to day without thinking of questions like "What do I want?" when you had food on the table, clothes to wear, shelter for the night and important work to do. All four things that Yaone thought were vital to living. But what did she want? 

"No one to protect or to love?" 

"No one but Kougaiji-sama and not to love." 

"Then Kougaiji-san is your family and if you'll let me..." 

*** 

_What does Yaone want for Yaone?_

That was the first time someone asked Yaone that question. Everyone expected her to conform to something. First, it was the chemist. He told her to be a bodyguard-apprentice if she wanted a safe haven for the night, food and shelter. Then it was Kougaiji-sama who told her to serve her as his chemist after rescuing her from the 100 Eyed Devil. 

_Not that she resented them... Especially not Kougaiji-sama! He cares for me, more than anything, I don't doubt that. Besides, that was what I was trained for. But... _

But she did wonder... 

_What do I want for me? _

Sometimes, she felt that the pleasant accommodating Yaone had smothered all that there is of her, that there was nothing more to her than chemist who followed Kougaiji come hell or high water. The truth was she didn't know what Kougaiji-sama and Dokugakuji saw in her besides that. 

_Who am I really?_

It was a very disquieting notion. Then she heard a groan and all thought fled her head. 

_Where can I hide? I don't want to bop them again... I might do some permanent damage this time..._

*** 

Yaone sighed again. There was just no way she could harm her adored master or her beloved friend. 

_Not even by accident... I'll just to wait till they run out of steam and sneak past them..._

*** 

Sanzo dashed through the woods with inspired speed. Tired as he was, he didn't want to be caught by his crazy teammate any time soon. He panted as he came to a stop in a clearing. 

_Maybe this is far enough for the night...at any rate, I'm too tired to run any longer... _

"Yaone!" 

The shout startled Sanzo. He whirled around to see the youkai prince. 

"Yaone?" Kougaiji peered into the woods with his youkai night vision. He was so preoccupied that he didn't even notice the blond monk. 

_This is an opportunity to rid myself of him... _

Sanzo took out his gun and aimed it at the youkai and shot. Kougaiji looked up and ducked just in time to avoid the shot. 

"Have you seen Yaone?" Kougaiji asked Sanzo, mildly. He absolutely ignored the fact that the monk had tried to attack him. 

Sanzo recognized the intense hungry look in the youkai's eyes almost immediately. 

_It's the same look in Gojyo's and Goku's eyes... I don't think he's going to be much of a menace when he's in this condition... He doesn't even think to fight me..._

"No, I haven't." 

_And I wouldn't tell you either if I knew..._

After the last couple of days, Sanzo had some sympathy for a fellow sufferer of unwavering sexual attentions. 

_That is if she wasn't affected by what ever this is...and gone off with the other one, Doku-what-his-face..._

"Yaone!" Kougaiji yelled several times more into the forest. He wandered in and out of the trees and shook the bushes. 

Sanzo watched all this without interest. He was dropping off into a doze when he felt a hand on his chin. 

"Say, you aren't bad looking yourself...Since it appears that my Yaone has gone with Dokugakuji…" Kougaiji mused. He was leaning over the blond with a predatory expression on his face. 

"Um..." Sanzo said in a dazed manner. He was drowsy from the long day he had and wasn't primed for a fight. 

_This is unexpected..._

Sanzo watched as the sun-kissed features approached, still a bit too sleepy to care. He looked at the glowing gray eyes blankly. Then he felt the warmth of those lips on his. 

_I should try to stop him.._

Sanzo readied his hand to give the youkai prince a push but before he could do so it was grabbed. Forestalled by the other's strong grip, he had no choice but to let the kiss happen. 

Kougaiji tasted of the woods and mint freshness. He kissed with slick sophistication, gently lapping at Sanzo's lips until he was let in. He twined his tongue around Sanzo's with slow deliberateness until... 

Kaboom! Crash! Smash! 

Kougaiji was thrown into a tree in the opposite side of the clearing. 

"It's not nice to attack Sanzo while he's tired and has his defenses down." Hakkai said, smiling sweetly but a vein throbbed on his forehead. 

"I wasn't attacking him." Kougaiji replied, just as mildly. He threw a fire attack at Hakkai. 

Hakkai dodged but the attack was a near miss. 

_I shouldn't just stand here...help Hakkai..._

The monocle-wearing youkai directed a blast that ricocheted off one of the trees hitting Kougaiji straight on, rendering him immobile as several trees were also felled caging him. 

_On the other hand, he seems to be able to defend himself handily... _

Sanzo continued on his interrupted sprint away from lust-crazy youkai. 

_There must be some place safe in these woods…_

*** 

"Now that's done." Hakkai dusted his hands as he stood over the sprawled, unconscious Kougaiji. The youkai prince was so artistically sprawled with his vest in tasteful disarray and torn pants in were creatively revealing but the monocle-wearing youkai barely gave the other a glance. His mind was still preoccupied with important things, namely with the purple-eyes, silky blond hair and a slender body of a certain monk. 

_No one tries to take Sanzo away from me...not you, not Gojyo, not Goku...without consequences..._

"Oi, Sanzo!" Hakkai caroled. 

*** 

Sanzo sighed, he was tired and he could hear the faint echo of Hakkai's voice. The issue seemed to have been decided in the brown-haired youkai's favor. 

_Should've know that Kougaiji was no match for Hakkai's hidden reserves of hostility... Where do I hide? _

Sanzo saw the good-sized pine tree. 

_This strong pine scent should confuse my trail until he's no longer frisky enough to care..._

*** 

Yaone started as she heard the rustle of pine needles under her. 

_Did Doku or Kougaiji-sama find me? I could almost wish..._

Yaone squashed the thought before it could fully form. She really couldn't choose in between them. After all, who ever she chose, the one left would be hurt. She popped out her spear just in case. 

_Oh well, might as well be certain..._

The beautiful blue-haired chemist looked down to see tousled blond hair and white robes through the needles. 

_Oh, it's only Genjo Sanzo...what is he doing here?_

*** 

"Don't you mind sharing this tree with me?" Yaone asked as Sanzo settled on the branch opposite hers on the trunk. 

_If he does, he could find another tree. I was here first!_

"As long as _you_ don't start chasing me...youkai..." Sanzo smirked at her. 

_Oh, what gall...!_

Yaone had just about enough of this. First, the peculiar behavior of her comrades, and now this uncalled for conceit of her primary enemy. She brought the spear-butt down hard on the blond's head.[1] 

**~TBC~**

*** The NC17 voting is still on. **Though the lucky yaoi couple's more or less fixed already. ^__^ ****

**Author's Notes: **

[1] Both of them are really stress out. >:D What do you folks think? Was it justified concern or arrogant conceit on Sanzo's part? Hehehe. 

* Sorry for the seriousness in the chapter, I will try to do better next time. **-_-; **I can't help it, there has to be some. Sorry also for the mush, all will be revealed to necessary in the final reckoning. 

* I _like_ Yaone. I thought of linking her with Doku or Kougaiji. Depends on what's more humorous to me. Yaone gets a good man either way, an important thing. 

NEXT: Sanzo decides to ask an answer from a source he can trust above all else...and gets more than what he bargains for…BWAHAHAHAHAHA! Meanwhile, where are Gojyo and Goku and what're they up to? 


	4. the Answer from Heaven

****   
**Warning:** Kanzeon-sama may be a little OOC. ^^;****

**Answer to Reviews:**

- Umm, I do _not_ tease. * wolfy puppy ears flattened * I wanted everyone who's reviewed in chapter 1 to get their two cents in before I write the lemon in 

- it's official - this fic's a** Hakkai x Sanzo** permanent couple thing. ^__^ Hi ShinuTsuki! And you're not the only one that feels something when the two guys get all sweet on screen. Though everyone male gets to grope Sanzo! 

Doku & Nii: *yanks Silrayn's skirt then points to self*   
Silrayn: Well, almost everyone male! Anyone want to suggest getting Nii Jieni to grope Sanzo-chan?   
Sanzo: Silrayn, Shi-ne!   
Silrayn: Just kidding... *scuttles away before Sanzo can shoot her * 

- My own interpretation of Sanzo is that his emotions are there but they don't go out of the surface, no matter how hard he feels them ^__^ 

**In Season**   
SAIYUKI FANFICTION

**Part 4 - the Answer from Heaven**

"Sumimasen." Yaone said as Sanzo was groggily sitting up. She had taken him onto her own branch to keep him from falling. Their combined weight was making the precarious perch sway a bit more but it was her fault anyway. 

"You sound exactly like Hakkai, when you do that." Sanzo said, dazedly. 

_She does…I wonder what that baka is doing right now… I hope he hadn't been beaten up by… What am I thinking? He's chasing me…but then, he's your teammate. It's natural to worry about him. And while I'm at it, I should wonder what happened to Gojyo and Goku… _

"Aa. Can you get back to the other branch? This can become very inconvenient…" 

"Aa." Sanzo shifted his weight and moved. 

"Shall we call a truce for the moment?" Yaone said, gesturing below as someone crashed about shouting something. 

"Might as well…" 

*** 

"Need some water?" Yaone asked, she extended a large water jug. They had been up the tree for two nights now, going down only when they were sure that the rest of the recent forest denizens have gone to sleep. Yaone's rations were getting stretched, they only had time to gather water and knew very little of edible plants to chance eating anything. 

_Ah, the disadvantages of being a city dweller…_

"Aa. So do you have any idea what's going on? I've been harassed by every male youkai I've encountered." Sanzo asked after he drunk some of the offered water. 

"No, I hoped you had an idea." 

"No, I don't…but I think I know how I might get some reliable advice, if you're willing to guard me as I pray." Sanzo said, as a sudden thought asserted itself in his mind. 

"Aa." At this point, the female youkai looked frazzled enough to try anything. 

_If she's been enduring two days in silence beautiful like Hakkai would've I'm not surprised…_

Sanzo started to chant the sutra for enlightenment. After a moment, he could feel it working. 

_Yes, it's definitely working…any moment now…_

He could feel the tugging of the divinity on his senses. Then all hell broke lose…or maybe the proper term would be heaven… 

*** 

Yaone watched Sanzo as he went into trance, chanting a Sutra. It was an easy job comparing to the one of keeping the unconscious monk on the branch. Then, she felt warmth coming from above. She dismissed it as the chant working and continued to watch Sanzo. 

Suddenly, a powerful stream of light poured down from the heavens to transfix her at her place. 

_Uh, oh…_

Trumpets, oboes and other musical instruments boomed a clarion call throughout the forest causing a chain reaction of assorted rustlings. She looked up to see a small scroll slowly descending towards them on the tide of heavenly light. Underneath it all, she could swear that she heard wild feminine laughter. She allowed Sanzo enough time to catch the book before she grabbed him in a wild sprint from one tree to another. The light and sound lingered to follow them for about a score of trees, broadcasting their presence to all interested parties. 

_They're sure to have seen that… It must have been seen it for five miles all around…_

*** 

Somewhere in heaven… 

"Did you have to do that, Kanzeon-sama?" One of the guards asked a hysterically laughing Goddess of Mercy. [1] 

"I didn't have to. But you have to admit, Konzen--no, Sanzo--needed loosening up." Kanzeon replied. Her flowing long hair and white robes were in horrible disarray as she sat halfway to the floor almost falling from her throne-like chair, tumbled there by a fit of chortles. 

The guards all sighed. 

"Besides, I am the representative of love as well. Shouldn't it be my duty to make sure that everyone gets some? Ahohohohohoho!" 

If Sanzo could hear his former aunt right now, he'd be tempted to strangle her. [2] 

*** 

Somewhere else, another female was laughing at the antics of both teams... 

_What an incredible coincidence this is... _

Gyokumen Koushi swatted a lock out of her way as she lifted the magical binoculars to her eyes. She had fled the castle for this little retreat of hers when the Conjunction was eminent. She knew about it, of course, that's how she snagged Gyuma Ou after all. [3] 

The would-be Empress might enjoy having sex with several of her retainers but had no intention of being dominated by any of them. 

_Who knows what perversions Nii Jieni has been hiding?_

Not that Gyokumen Koushi minded doing perverted things; she just wanted to do them on her own terms. 

_I never thought that wimp of a stepson of mine got the nerve to suggest a threesome, and to Yaone of all people and to Genjo Sanzo as well..._

It was even funnier than the light show of Sanzo's. Though she could really had it to whatever god it was that had a hand in making that one. 

_Somebody up there definitely has a sense of humor..._

*** 

Somewhere else in the forest… 

Gojyo cursed to himself. 

_I should've tried to shadow that damned monkey!_

He had lost the trail almost immediately after Sanzo and Hakkai had ditched going on Hakuryu. He got more lost in the forest trying to cold track them. 

_The monkey might have his faults but his nose is close infallible…_

Then he heard a great racket ring across the forest and looked up to see Sanzo with Yaone up a tree. 

_Eh, it must be Sanzo's way of showing where he is… Such a tease he is! I'm coming, lover… hang on in there…_

*** 

Another part of the forest… 

Goku had managed to sniff out the trail though lost it a bit when he hit the clearing. The devastation caused by Hakkai and Kougaiji had muddled it somewhat. 

He wondered if Sanzo had gotten injured in the fighting but dismissed it as there was no blood smell around. 

_Hmm…south or west… _

Of course, his direction was decided for him when the blare of music came on. 

_Oh, so that's where Sanzo is… I'm coming…wait for me!_

*** 

Several minutes later… 

"Oi, Goku! Gojyo! Over here." Hakkai chirped with a cheery wave. 

"Hakkai? Why are you here?" Gojyo asked suspiciously. 

"Getting Sanzo away from the enemy youkai, of course." 

"But isn't that Yaone-san?" Goku asked, equally wary. 

"Hai, but she's still with Kougaiji-san, ne?" 

"Hai!" Goku agreed wholeheartedly to the fiction not caring if it was true or not as long as it legitimized what he was about to do. 

"Aa, but it's really a pity about Yaone-san. She's really pretty." Gojyo said, reflectively. 

"Then go with her, you perverted kappa!" 

"And leave Sanzo to you, you monkey? No way." 

"Why you!" 

Goku threw a punch at Gojyo and the brawl was on. Meanwhile, Hakkai smiled ingenuously and continued on his way to follow the trail of light. 

_Mission accomplished… _

*** 

"Oi, Yaone, don't run away from me. I'm quite willing to share you with the cute human!" Kougaiji yelled after Sanzo and Yaone. [4] 

Kougaiji had awakened to the brilliant flash of light in the sky. He had groggily extricated himself from the fallen trees and was currently pursuing the two desperate people. 

"You're what?" Doku said, coming alongside Kougaiji in the chase only to get punched in the face. 

"Oi, Yaone-chan ignore this pervert, drop the human and come with me instead… I'll treat you well." Dokugakuji shouted in counter offer. 

None of the offers were accepted. Yaone kept on going, carrying Sanzo from tree to tree. 

"Ne, calling your prince a pervert?" 

"Just calling it as I see it." 

Kougaiji kayoed Dokugakuji and left the unconscious youkai to fend for himself as he followed the two escapees. 

*** 

"Yaone-san, would you please give Sanzo back to me?" Hakkai yelled, still politely. He had finally caught up with Yaone after ditching his two teammates. He now ran a healthy distance alongside Kougaiji. 

Sanzo noted that both youkai were avoiding getting close to each other and glared at each other whenever they got within two meters of each other. 

_They're so territorial all of a sudden…_

"I'm still willing to ignore this insubordinate behavior, if you would be willing to come back with me now. I'm even willing to share you with Sanzo." Kougaiji wheedled as much as he could while yelling. Yaone blushed at that. 

_Pervert… Are all redheaded youkai perverts? First that kappa, now Kougaiji…_

"Sanzo is coming with me!" Hakkai said brightly but firmly. 

_Hakkai's scary, when he's like this…_

"You'll have to catch him first. Besides, he ran away from you." That was not really a good thing to point out to Hakkai. Kougaiji found himself blasted into a tree again but this time he managed to throw a fire blast and hit Hakkai. Hakkai managed to put a partial shield just in time to avoid getting blasted but got his wind knocked out of him. 

Sanzo wanted to go down and see if there had been permanent damage inflicted on the brown-haired youkai but knew that they couldn't really afford to slack off. 

_It might give them more reason to fight anyway…_

Both male youkai dropped off as they started to trade _ki _blasts. 

_It figures…_

Sanzo thought tiredly. So far, everything that had happened for the past two days hasn't made much sense so he didn't expect this to either. 

*** 

After an hour, they managed to make to a clearing in the woods where stood a tall tower… 

"Ano…I wonder if we can ask the owner for shelter for the rest of the night?" 

"Hn." Sanzo replied, trying to catch his breath. Yaone was finally let him to run on his own after they had gotten down from the trees to take their flight on foot. They had run through rough terrain and a spring or two to break their trail since the unfortunate spotlighting incident. 

"Hello, is there anybody there?" Yaone said before Sanzo could stop her. 

_Oh, hell...what harm can it do? _

Yaone thought it worth the gamble. 

_The worst thing that can happen is that the occupant is a male youkai hermit... It would be damned consistent with our luck lately... Scratch that...that one's major bad luck..._

Silence. 

"Can we shelter for what's left of the night?" 

"Go away." Said a muffled voice. 

_Odd, that voice seemed faintly familiar..._

Yaone had only time enough to wonder before a crash nearby alerted her and Sanzo and the chase was on. 

*** 

After a couple of hours… 

"We seemed to have ditched them temporarily. If nothing else, they should be tired by now. They've certainly expended more energy fighting each other than we have been running away from them." Sanzo said, panting as he sat on a rock outcropping. 

"Aa." Yaone said, sitting down on another rock in the cave that they had decided on as a defensible position. 

"Shall we read this?" Sanzo asked, waving the scroll that bore the tag "Male Youkai Sexuality" on the outside. 

"You read it. I'll stand guard. No offense but you don't look like you can fight yourself out of a paper sack at the moment." 

"Good idea." Sanzo ignored the rest of the comment, too exhausted to snap. He was well aware that he was on the edge of human endurance but Yaone wasn't looking any better. 

_She looks like she's not far from collapsing herself...and I must look like I went through the grinder or something… Maybe it'll discourage our teammates from groping us… Oh well, time to read this…_

Sanzo opened the scroll and started to read. 

"So, what's in it?" Yaone asked after a few minutes passed. 

"To summarize the first few paragraphs, it says: Male youkai go in rut every 5,000 thousand years. They're relentless in pursuit of prospective mates. They are willing to fight others, youkai and non-youkai, in the attainment of their goals and are so single-minded that they are hazardous to all females and male humans, in general." Sanzo replied. They looked at each other for a long moment. 

"Is there _anything_ we can do about it?" Yaone asked. 

"None, according to this scroll, though in consolation it mentions that the condition only lasts a week or so. It goes on to say that it might be caused by an alignment of the stars etc. but I don't think we really need to know that. It's only been--what--two days? I don't think we could last the week don't you? Unless we surrender." Sanzo sighed. 

"Aa. Maybe we could try to escape them on dragon-back. Kougaiji-sama, Doku and I came on a dragon." 

"Where is that dragon?" 

"North of this cave." 

"Right through 'enemy lines', ne?" 

"Aa." Yaone said, her cheerful smile deflated a bit. 

"Maybe we should sleep here a bit and wait for dawn to make our break." 

**~I think I've been mean **   
**enough to them for tonight! **   
**=^^= TBC ~**

**Author's Notes:**

[1] At least, if I were her, that's what I would do. Ahohohohohohohohoho! * Does a high five with Kanzeon using her platter-puppy-paws* 

Sanzo: I asked for enlightenment for me! Not for every damned male youkai for miles around!   
Silrayn: Consider yourself en-Lightened! Ahohohohoho!   
Sanzo: *gets out his gun*   
Silrayn: Now…don't be hasty… 

This is inspired by a ghost story about a security guard walking on a lighted walkway. One night, as he was patrolling the walkway, all the lights on it suddenly went out except for the one above him. Spooky. He decided to test the phenomenon by inching his way to under another light (the lights are spaced approximately a meter and a half apart). The light he had been under promptly went out and the light he was currently under suddenly lit up. He did it again and the light followed him. Now this is impossible in the normal state of things since there was only one circuit switch for the entire walkway, the guard freaked and ran as the lights blinked on and off to follow him across the walkway. Thus proving that the ghost that haunted that particular stretch of the university had a sense of humor. 

[2] (Fact from the translation of Gaiden from Aestheticism) Certainly, I would if I was he. 

[3] I don't think much of Gyokumen Koushi. Isn't it obvious? ^^; 

[4] Bear in mind that he's in rut. ^^() It's not normal behavior. At least, I can hope that it's not normal behavior for Yaone's sake. =^^= Being unselfish, he decides to share Yaone with Sanzo since Yaone seems to be taken with Sanzo but, of course, he also wants his share of the blond so as not to be left out. ^^; 

Silrayn: Three-ing in with Dokugakuji? 

Kougaiji: *gives Silrayn a glare* 

Silrayn: ^^ 

NEXT: Don't be silly! Of course, they're not going to escape...*evil grins* But this is where my inspiration loses steam and need fuel...feedback please...   



	5. Every Man For Himself

**In Season**

SAIYUKI FANFICTION

**Part 5 - Every man for himself **

Sanzo and Yaone awakened to the sound of a cacophony of voices. 

"Yaone-chan! Sanzo... I'm going to kill you." No doubt, the only reason why Dokugakuji wasn't attacking him was that there were other youkai blocking the way. 

"Yaone, we should really make this as a threesome." 

"I knew you went for long haired types. Red Boy's got the right idea... How about it babe?" Gojyo drawled, appreciatively at Sanzo's "en dishabille" state. 

"Sanzo..." Goku whined. 

"Uh…" Sanzo muttered sleepily. 

"Sanzo, Yaone, I know there must be a reasonable explanation for this, ne? After all, Sanzo doesn't go around sleeping with people much less our enemies." Hakkai's sweet smile had a razor sharp edge. 

"Hakkai's right, and he's really mine, you ape..." Gojyo replied to the whine, almost instinctively arguing. 

Goku smashed his fist into Gojyo's chin and the fight was on for the nth time. 

The other three men ignored it, and more bickering ensued, then... 

"Hey, Dokugakuji, isn't it?" Hakkai asked. 

"Aa?" 

"Since you want Yaone back and we want Sanzo back, why don't we just get rid of Kougaiji then..." 

_Great, now they're thinking of us as objects to be divvied up according to their fancy and without consulting us first...and who's this we...since Goku and Gojyo are both too busy destroying each other... Hakkai, you sly dog..._

"Shut up." Sanzo said, pointing his gun at random at Dokugakuji. He was still a bit groggy from the running they had to do the night before and therefore twice as bad tempered. Even in the throes of heat, the male youkai had the sense to be intimidated by this. He and Yaone had decided to sleep deep in the cave and to make them harder to spot they had curled up together into a tiniest huddle possible. 

_Oh my...curled up with each other..._

The implications were just starting to seep into Sanzo's befuddled brain and from the look on Yaone's face that she was coming to the same conclusion. With a silent nod of agreement, they both sprang into action, Sanzo knocking Hakkai and Goku down while Yaone bowled through Gojyo, Dokugakuji and Kougaiji using her spear. Then they ran like hell in two different directions. 

"Oi, Sanzo, don't be a tease. Wait for me!" Gojyo drawled out after him. 

"Sanzo, don't leave me behind..." Goku shouted. 

"Yaone-chan! Wait for me!" 

"Yaone, Sanzo, can't we discuss this?" 

_No, definitely we can't...and I don't tease... Don't they ever give up? Well, they're in a rut, so I suppose, it's reasonable..._

Exasperation colored Sanzo's thoughts but he should really concentrate on running and not think of thoughts like that to waste energy. 

***

"Yaone, come back." Kougaiji shouted. 

"Yaone-chan!" Dokugakuji yelled out. 

It had been three hours since Yaone and Sanzo separated but her two comrades are still hot on her trail. She panted as she tried to catch her breath. It was so tempting to just give up. 

_After all, I don't think either of them will hurt me...and it can't be that bad. We're friends, that was more than I could hope for in the streets... What in the nether hells am I thinking? _

Yaone shook her head to clear it. 

_No, Kougaiji-sama, Dokugakuji-san aren't themselves...so I suppose I should avoid them until the week is out..._

It was too much to ask that Genjo Sanzo was lying or understating the situation. The corrupt monk had his own stubborn sense of honor. 

_There was no help to it... _

However, Yaone seemed to have an itty-bitty problem. It could just be a coincidence but no matter how she tried to evade them, Kougaiji and Dokugakuji always barred her way up north. 

_I have to try to shake them before trying to head for the dragon...or I might end up doing something permanent to them..._

Yaone thought unhappily. 

***

_What now..._

Sanzo outdistanced his pursuers by sheer luck. He didn't know where else could he go. 

_And Hakuryu's definitely with Hakkai... So I have no transport out of here...but didn't Yaone say that she came atop a dragon?_

He remembered the conversation well. 

_Kougaiji-sama, Doku and I came on a dragon...North of this cave... That's where I'll head on out... North... _

Of course, he didn't reckon on the vagaries of fate. After three hours of running, every tree was starting to look the same. 

_Wasn't this the rock I passed by an hour ago...? _

Sanzo realized that he was hopelessly lost. 

_Well...at least...they're..._

He stopped the thought before it could fully form. There was no need to borrow trouble. 

***

Yaone dashed off to the trees and got a breather as she found a spring bubbling up from some rocks screened by a patch of particularly dense underbrush. 

_Hmmm. I have something that will blunt their tracking skills...maybe that's what I need..._

Besides, the spring was well nigh irresistible after days of running around without a decent bath. Yaone was filthy from head to toe. 

_They could probably scent me a mile away..._

She took off her clothes and popped out some soap and a chemical vial and put them aside. Then she took a dip somewhat down stream of the source and used the soap to loosen up the dirt and grime that she had accumulated, sighing. 

_Ah, this is the life... _

Yaone felt all was right with the world. Feeling very much contented with the luxurious lap of water on her skin, she knew the need for quick action. Yaone sighed before getting out of the water. She uncorked the vial and slathered the contents onto her body. While Yaone was in the process of coating her clothes with the chemical substance and not to mention in the nude, she heard a rustle in the bushes. She started as Kougaiji's head popped out of the bush. 

"Yaone, let me help you with that." Kougaiji asked, his eyes were dilated. He was practically panting as his eyes wandered on Yaone's unclad form. 

It made the female youkai feel extremely warm all over. She thought, no, knew that she must be blushing like a beet from head to toe. But on the other hand, it was sort of nice to be the object of such interest from her prince. 

_He is handsome and..._

Yaone found her thoughts wandering to the time when she had cared for Kougaiji-sama after one fight too many. The vest and pants had been torn up pretty badly that Yaone had to cut the remnants off her patient. Kougaiji had been unconscious from a blast that had caught him unexpected. She had been afraid that something had been seriously amiss but the wounds themselves were very superficial. Though there were many of them crisscrossing on the smooth brown skin tracing the ripple of muscle. She had secretly admired and the firmness of skin and muscles as she poked and prodded the wounds to look for fragments and dirt. She could almost...   
  
"Hentai!" Yaone shouted, involuntarily to herself, and whacked him with her spear. 

"Oh dear! Sumimasen, Kougaiji-sama." She added afterwards but this didn't keep her there. She swiftly gathered her clothes and put them on. She was gone from the clearing in a thrice. 

_That was very embarrassing..._

***

_Uh...oh... I think my luck has just run out..._

Sanzo, as lost as he was, had run into the clearing where Gojyo and Goku had been squabbling. He turned to go but was halted by some hurdles. Namely, a couple of glomping team mates. 

"Hey, what's your hurry Sanzo?" Gojyo drawled, breaking off the brawl to attach himself like a limpet to Sanzo. 

"Yeah, we missed you." Goku said. He mirrored Gojyo's movement and glared at the other. 

"Urusai!" He bopped the two baka with his fan who just clung to him harder. 

Sanzo had had enough of this and took out his gun to aim it at Gojyo. 

"Get. Off. Of. Me." The blond monk bit out. 

_I don't care if I need these baka to succeed... _

"Now, now, Sanzo. We all know that you don't want to do that. Now, Goku, Gojyo...unhand him..." Hakkai said sedately, as he came into the clearing. 

Both refused, clinging all the tighter to Sanzo, but found themselves suddenly hurled across the clearing. 

"Hakkai!" Goku and Gojyo shouted as one. 

"Really, there's no need for such displays. Sanzo's uncomfortable with touching people, remember?" Hakkai reproved them gently, despite having tossed them into the trees. 

Sanzo didn't wait for whatever else they were going to say, he bolted out of there, faster than Goku ever did at the mention of food. 

_Hakkai's not as bad, I suppose... What am I thinking? No, certainly not! Never..._

Sanzo froze; shocked at the train of thought his mind was taking. 

_What is this shit? I never thought of Hakkai in that way before..._

_Maybe it's high time you did..._

A small voice in his mind piped up. 

_And maybe it's just hormones talking, it's just instinctive, damned it! He really doesn't want me! He's certainly never pulled anything on me when he was normal..._

_If you weren't such a bastard at times maybe he'd have..._

_Shut up!_

But the little voice remained insistent in his mind. 

_Well, he's chasing you, now... He can't say you took advantage of him when he's the one who's been damned persistent..._

_No way! When he wakes up from this..._

_So? You'll have him for a while...better to have him now and lose him later..._

_Idiot!_

_Well, there's that but at least I'm not a coward... One of us certainly is..._

_Argh! This is insane..._

Sanzo knew that he was in deep trouble. When you started arguing with yourself like that, well, it could only mean trouble. 

_Ooh, those guys are going to get it... When everything's back to normal... This is just for a fucking week... Yeah, keep telling yourself that..._

"Oi, Sanzo, are you all right?" Hakkai said, popping out of the bush. 

_Ngyah! Thinking of the youkai..._

Sanzo picked up his pace. 

***

"Now where did he go?" Goku asked to himself as he walked around in ever widening circles. He had tried to track Sanzo by the nose but had sniffed a particularly offensive plant that rendered his tracking ability useless. And now, he was truly lost. 

"Oi, monkey! Is the baldie monk around here, too? Do you have any food?" A voice asked him and he turned around to see a disheveled Lirin whose stomach was growling loudly. 

_Hmm. I haven't noticed it before but she's pretty...besides, I don't have to fight Gojyo..._[1] 

Besides, as if on cue his stomach began to growl. 

_Maybe I should eat first before trying to ask her..._

"No. I seemed to have lost Sanzo and the others in here." 

_More like, I have been left here to fend for myself but...let's not get into that..._

"Seems like you're hungry, too, monkey boy. Why don't we go look for some food first?" 

_Yes, food is a good idea..._

"Hai." Goku said, his hand going to his head in embarrassment. 

_At least, it didn't turn her off..._

In agreement, the two hungry youkai went off in search for food. 

***

"He's just playing hard-to-get. Ne, Hakuryu, time for Plan B?" Hakkai said to the white dragonet as it landed on his shoulder from a nearby tree. 

"Kyu!" 

_One has to think ahead when it comes to catching Sanzo... This time, I will have you for myself... _

"Find Sanzo, ne? I'll do the rest." He said, letting it fly. 

_Time for me to lay the false trail for Kougaiji, Gojyo and Goku..._   


**~ TBC ~**

**Author's Notes:**

[1] He still hasn't figured it out, poor trusting child. 

NEXT: A treat and a trick... 

**Progress Reports:**   
"Raven's Pendant" Chapter 9 - is growing   
"Still Rivers Run Deep" - continuation of "Just Out of Reach" is being planned out, comments welcome   
A Nanashi Saiyuki fic crossover with the Ayan-kitsune Universe - in the planning stage as if I don't enough unfinished fics _or _arcs   



	6. a Trick and a Treat

****

In Season

GENSOUMADEN SAIYUKI FANFICTION

****

Part 6 - a Treat and a Trick

Sanzo ran into a clearing and saw...

"Kyu!" Hakuryu cooed as he landed on blond monk's shoulders.

"Where's Hakkai?" Sanzo said, craning his head suspiciously right and left to look for his teammate. 

"Kyu!" 

"I guess he dumped you to chase after me, ne? Could you transform into jeep?" Justifiably wary after being ambushed in the same situation, the blond monk reconnoitered the bushes before he assumed that the white dragonet was alone.

"Kyu!" The dragonet complied. Even seeing the transformation, Sanzo looked over and under the Jeep before riding on it. Somewhat paranoid, he flipped the seats over. Then he gave the back and flooring a thorough once over. Satisfied that he had no passengers. He zoomed out of there like a bat out of hell. He wondered a moment how Yaone was doing.

__

We split up... If she's been trying to evade them, I wouldn't be able to find her in this...but I should try... No, I don't think I could. In addition, I might run into the baka...

The thought had Sanzo hightail it out of there. He got to the town they had stayed in before, easily enough. He hoped that an inn would be willing to put up with him even after what the disaster of their first stay. 

__

I need the rest. Ooh, those baka are going to get it, once the week is out... I think I need a smoke…

The blond looked about his robes instinctively for his cigarettes, but finding nothing.

__

I must have dropped it while I was running… Another thing to hold it over them…

Not that Sanzo was as foolish to smoke while his teammates were after him but still. The blond never felt so humiliated in his whole life.

__

I'm going to destroy the paper fan on each of their heads... Even on Hakkai's? 

The last came out as a question instead of a statement. Suddenly, a memory flashed at him. 

__

Hakkai and him on this seat, arm around his shoulders...so warm and comforting... 

Sanzo stopped the memory right there.

__

Ergh! You never thought of him that way before all this started. Don't start now... 

Yada...yada...

Don't you start! 

It didn't help. Other memories tumbled out of Sanzo's mind. The incidental touches at combat, inevitable, rough shoves to get out of the way, the warmth of healing _ki _caressing him inside out, they all came together now to make his skin tingle.

__

I must be hanging around the baka too long my brain's getting soft... I don't like human contact... Yes, keep telling yourself that...

***

Gojyo crashed around the underbrush sniffing around for his objective. He could have sworn that he saw the footprints of Sanzo's sandals on the soft loam of the forest floor.

__

Damned, the idiot monkey was much better at this than me…but no way am I going to share Sanzo with him…

An image burned in Gojyo's mind. He closed his eyes. Golden hair tousled on a pillow. Purple eyes plum with passion. Face thrown back in abandon, exposing the sweet juncture of neck and collarbone. He groaned. The thought alone made the heat rise to unbearable heights.

__

Not now, I have to find him first…

However, the sex-charged fantasy refused to let go of Gojyo. The lithe muscled form flashed before his eyelids, graceful in its perfection. He had caught enough teasing glimpses it throughout their journey to tempt him though the gun had deterred him from making a move till now. Somehow, it made sense to do so now.

__

Now when the monkey and Hakkai's chasing after his ass,_ too…_

It all made a twisted sort of sense.

__

If they can do it, so can I…not that the kid's much of a competition, Hakkai, on the other hand…

A memory, several memories of the past days, flashed before the redhead's mind. Hakkai with Sanzo in front of the jeep, the green-eyed youkai all but cuddled to the blond monk. Then, Hakkai and Sanzo taking off while he and the stupid monkey fought. The red haze of jealous fury surrounded the memories surprised him. 

__

Hakkai is my friend but if he tries to get Sanzo away from me… I'll fight him… 

Gojyo's thoughts were cut off when he caught the faint whiff of tobacco.

Ah! That's Sanzo's brand of smokes, wait for me Sanzo-chan and if Hakkai's with you… That's just too damned bad… 

The redhead took off, unaware of the green eyes staring at him from the nearby tree.

***

__

Yatta! two down, one to go…

Hakkai smiled contently as he took the ashes of a burnt cigarette scattering them in a random but steady stream. He took care not to be seen by his redheaded friend as he went deeper and deeper into the forest. He had already taken care of Goku earlier when he had strewn some of the peppery reddish plant on Sanzo spoor. From what he saw, it had worked. Now, he had used wooden branches carved into the shape of their comrade's sandals and the ashes to make sure that Gojyo would go deeper into the forest. He had purloined the cigarettes from Sanzo when he had popped out of a bush catching the blond monk unaware.

***

Meanwhile, Sanzo found a second inn willing to house him for the night.

He shrugged the problem of Yaone away. She wasn't a harmless frill that had been raised to cook and clean.

__

She could take good care of herself… Ah, this is the life...

He had ordered some food and beer, set to enjoy his first full meal for days.

__

I wonder what Goku's doing for a meal, or Hakkai for the matter or Gojyo...

The twinge of guilt was mollified when he thought of how they had chased him around.

__

Maybe they'll lose steam with hunger... [1]

After dinner, he started to read more of the scroll.

__

Fascinating...so okay, I didn't want to know that some youkai find getting scratched by those claws of theirs in certain places--um--stimulating...but all this...

Kanzeon was quite determined to give her former nephew an education, considering she more or less foreseen that one of the youkai Sanzo was with would be the one to thaw out that frozen exterior.

__

Yes, fascinating... [2]

__

When a male youkai in the throes of heat is deprived of his prey is subjective to trying to find other acceptable substitutes…

__

They're hardly going to find any "substitutes" in the forest…and a good thing too… 

Sanzo imagined having to deal with an outraged father with a human girl swelling with child in tow.

__

I think it was very fortunate…let them burn out the excess energy there…without complications…

Sanzo didn't know just how wrong he was.

***

"Ne, Lirin?" Goku asked as they shared a score of trout.

"Goku, this fish is good. Can you catch some more?" Lirin asked. She was remarkably fresh despite their exertions. Her eyes sparkled with a mischievous light that was oddly entrancing. 

"Hai. Hai." Goku said, grinning. He was only half-dressed having taken off his shirt and cape to be able to move freer. Fish was hard to catch barehanded but he managed with his youkai speed. He felt remarkably hot even so when Lirin looked at him with that innocent look.

"Let me help next time, ne? We'll have twice as much." Lirin had picked some berries and edible plants but the fish was more substantially filling than what she had scrounged up.

"Hai." Goku replied again. His eyes were glued to her rather impressive bosom. 

__

Wow…

The heat that prompted him to kiss Sanzo was there in full force. It uncoiled from the bottom of his belly to warm his whole body. He felt his face flush. Hanging around with that horny kappa, he knew some of the basics.

__

I've never felt anything like this before except for Sanzo… 

The urgency to see the blond monk faded. It was rapidly being commuted into contentment. Orange replaced gold in his fantasy and green eyes, purple.

"Ne, what are you looking at? Aren't you going to have some of this fish?" Lirin said, looking up from the roasted fish she was savaging with his teeth.

"Hai." Goku affirmed. 

__

She's cute…when she's so enthusiastic about eating…

"You're more fun than that baldie Sanzo." 

__

Sugoi! She finds me better company than she finds Sanzo…

"I'm glad to hear that, Lirin-chan." Goku replied brightly. He took one of the roots that were roasting in the fire and took a bite at it. He barely even noticed that it was burning hot.

"Wai! That's more like it."

"Hai." Goku managed not to spit out the burning brand in his mouth but it was a close thing.

***

__

Gomen, Yaone-san… 

Hakkai was up in the tree to look at the scene before him. He cut several branches to hide the dragon Kougaiji's party used to get to forest. Then he dragged a couple of bucks under the fragrant branches to keep the dragon satisfied for three days at least. Lastly, he covered it with mud.

__

With Yaone in the forest, it would keep Kougaiji's attention divided… Now for part two of my plan… 

Hakkai cut some more branches to make a trail, this time of Yaone "footprints". After a few moments, he had managed a few tortuous false prints.

__

That should be suffice…

He knew that Yaone had eliminated her scent-spoor already.

__

I didn't have to do it the way I did to Sanzo's…

Satisfied, the green-eyed youkai decided to find a nice comfortable spot on the fork of a tree to wait for Hakuryu's return.

__

Sanzo should have found a nice comfty place at town by now… 

***

In the inn, Sanzo read on, amused by what he saw…

__

Being in heat slow down the brain cells a bit, but youkai aren't complete idiots under influence. They can get the obvious eventually…

__

That certainly isn't much of a difference from how the baka behaved…

***

Gojyo ran around the several trees that seemed to look more and more familiar. He looked for a sign of Sanzo, a flash of white robe or of golden hair...but there was nothing. Until he found a piece of cloth stuck to a thorn bush. 

__

Hey, I recognize this... This comes from that sash of Hakkai's...

The half-youkai had a sneaky feeling that he'd been had...

__

Why, I have such a clever little friend. That Hakkai must have laid a false trail... I guess I'll just have to backtrack and find the trail again...so that's why it was so easy to follow... Well, it won't work now… Wait for me, Sanzo-chan!

It never occurred to Gojyo that the object of his search had left the forest all together.

***

After a few hours more…

Gojyo walked into the clearing where he retraced Sanzo's spoor. It had a tower standing squarely in the middle of it. 

__

Hmmm… Sanzo-chan's so coy. He's probably up in the tower…

The redheaded half-youkai tried the door. It was locked.

__

Sanzo-chan's really trying to lay it on thick…

Gojyo decided to play the blond's game, at least for the moment.

__

After all, Sanzo's the dominant type…

"Ho to the tower! Anyone in there." Gojyo yelled.

***

Hakkai smiled as he saw Hakuryu fly down to him. 

"Ne, Hakuryu, I think I've done enough. Lead me to where Sanzo is."

"Kyu!" The small dragon transformed himself into a jeep.

****

~TBC~

****

Author's Notes:

[1] What do you know? Hope _does _spring eternal! =^^=

[2] I have watched and read entirely too much "Star Trek: the Original Series" in my formative years. * Silrayn raises her eyebrow like Spock * Hee!

- For those who know where this fanfic is going. Don't you guys agree that it is evil? I said it in the beginning chapter so don't say I didn't warn you folks. * rolls on the floor * Ahohohohohohoho! Guess who?


	7. Caught You

****

**Author's Notes:** We pause for a small intermission break from Sanzo and Hakkai to highlight the other couples in this twisted little tale. Please don't kill me! * x.x Silrayn gets strangled by several readers * Sorry, I _just_ had to say that. Just see…the title should be more or less self-explanatory… 

**In Season** SAIYUKI FANFICTION

**Part 7 - Caught you!**

_I swore we left our dragon somewhere around here…but where is it? Did Kougaiji-sama or Dokugakuji move it? If so, where would they go with it? And when? They had to take time to pick up my trail again…_

Yaone winced as a low branch thwacked her across the knee. She was crashing around the bushes looking for dragon. She tried to be as quiet as she could but the bushes were unexplainably thick all of a sudden. The branches heavily woven together so that there was very little she could do but crash through them. The were more like a rooted low wall, so dense that it reminded her of a hedge-maze she had seen once in a youkai noble's estate that Kougaiji-sama had visited. 

_As if they grew overnight…_[1] 

Distinctly odd, she didn't remember them to be this impenetrable. 

_We couldn't have landed the dragon around here if the bushes were this dense… Maybe I got turned around some place along the way and this is not the place…but I'm almost sure…_

She took one more foray into the bushes. 

"Yaone-chan, if you want this place searched you should've asked me." Dokugakuji said, as he swung his sword and cleared a fair sized patch of shrubbery. 

"Yes, Yaone, we could have helped you." Kougaiji seconded, he sent a fireball to clear a slightly bigger patch. There was a competitive gleam in his eyes. 

Yaone made a practice jump up to a low hanging branch and began to use them as a road to get away from her persistent admirers. 

_Now where did we really stash that dragon…_

She really needed to find it. She was tiring from all this running. 

Somewhere close by, a satisfied rumble was hardly heard over the crunch of leaves and creak of branches. 

***

"Lirin, you know…" Goku stuttered as he ducked down to grab at a silvery shadow. They were both in the stream letting the water ran past their knees. Lirin was a bit farther downstream so that he had to raise his voice over the gurgle of the water. 

"Hai?" Lirin asked absently as she doved down into the water after some fish. The front of her bodysuit was more than a little wet. The heavy material clung to her breasts, giving a tantalizing glimpse of shapeliness underneath. 

"I don't know why never noticed this before…" Goku continued. He reached out into the water but his eyes were still trained on the girl beyond. 

"Hai?" Lirin said. She looked up as she flung two scaly forms to the shore. 

"But you look real pretty." Goku said as he bent down ostensibly to grab at a passing shadow in the water but his eyes were still at Lirin's chest. 

She did make quite a figure with her slim waist, heavy breasts and lithe hips. 

"Are you sure you're all right, Goku? That you didn't hit your head or something?" 

_She's concerned about me…_

That mere fact made Goku's grin goofy. 

"Goku...?" Lirin said, wading close to look at him in the eye closely. 

"Hai." Goku said with glazed eyes. 

"Aa. So let's roast these fish while they're still fresh. I think we have enough for now." Lirin said as she moved from foot to foot nervously. 

"Hai." Goku said. His eyes were glazed over. 

"What are you doing?" Lirin asked, rather puzzled. She was in the process of climbing a slippery rock treating Goku to the sexy sight of her pert butt. 

"Um?" Goku asked. 

*** 

"You're just standing there like you're frozen or something." 

_What is the matter with him?_

Goku hadn't moved from his place in the stream so intent was he at looking at Lirin. 

"Ahehehe." 

"What's wrong with you today?" 

"Nothing. Let's get those fish roasted. I'm hungry." Goku's stomach growled loudly on cue. 

"Aa." Lirin looked discontented at this but let it go. She had other problems; her feet were sliding off the wet boulder. She scrambled up frantically to safety but it wasn't much use. She felt a pain in her right ankle when she slammed it hard on the boulder as her left foot lost all purchase on the boulder. Then she was falling. Not for long though… 

A strong arm went around her back and another tucked into her knees. Then she was on safe ground away from the steep riverbank. 

"Ah, Goku-kun, could we rest here a moment?" Lirin asked as she felt sharp needles of light on the edge of her sight and felt her knees giving in. Her ankle hurt like hell. 

*** 

_Youkai in heat are very persistent and would go to any lengths to get their mate. They will not stop at trying to get what they want. Worse yet, if they are balked and take a substitute..._

  


_They sure are..._

Sanzo sighed at this particular passage, very glad that he had gotten out of the woods. 

_Just in the nick of time...I think I wouldn't be able to restrain myself from inflicting any damage for much longer..._

*** 

Gojyo was waiting outside the tower pondering on what he should do next. He had been there waiting for hours but 

_Hmmm. I think I'll try the cunning approach first. Sanzo-chan seems to respond to it best..._

Gojyo still remembered the time when Sanzo had allowed himself time alone with Hakkai leaving him and the monkey in the inn. 

"Oi, Sanzo-chan, don't be shy. Open up." Gojyo yelled. 

_There that should get him sputtering with indignation..._

"Are you afraid of me?" He added for good measure after a moment or two. 

Still no answer came from the tower. 

_I think it's time for some drastic measures..._

Gojyo was not a patient man in the first place. He'd had enough of all these delays in his courtship. He called his shakouji and lashed out at the heavy oaken door. The door splintered with a satisfying crash, revealing a stone staircase. 

_So you want to play hide and seek? That's all right. Ready or not, here I come..._

*** 

"It was mean to leave us all in the forest while you stay here in an inn." Hakkai said cheerfully as he came through the door. 

_What will I do? I should've known I wouldn't have found Hakuryu alone without Hakkai...that was suspicious enough in its own... I'm rather trapped here... I don't know...maybe I should jump out the window?_

A small voice in Sanzo's head suggested--very interesting--alternative courses of action. He told it firmly to take a hike. 

_It will cause more problems later than it will solve now..._

Hakkai gave Sanzo, his most vacuous harmless look. 

"We both know better so could you please drop it." Sanzo demanded, suddenly tired of playing this game by the rules. 

"Aa. I guess we do." Hakkai replied, predatory desire abruptly surfacing in his eyes. It was extremely disturbing. 

_O-kay, I shouldn't have said that..._

They both looked at each other for a long moment. Sanzo desperately thinking of things to say that wouldn't further aggravate the situation. 

_Me and my temper..._

"I've strewn pepper at the start of our trail to mislead Goku's nose and created a trail to deceive the rest. Don't you appreciate that?" Hakkai asked in a lightning fast change of subject that had Sanzo blinking in puzzlement. 

_What is he getting at? What game is this, now?_

"Thanks, I think…depends on what do you want in exchange." Sanzo glowered. 

"Nothing really just--how about sleeping with me?" 

"Hakkai!" Sanzo's mind blanked at the thought. 

"Ano--I mean beside me." A sweat drop fell off the green-eyed youkai's brow. 

Sanzo contemplated the advantages for one long moment... 

_If I surrender to him then... I don't have to run anymore...not from Goku or Gojyo...but..._

"Hai." 

Sanzo was sure he was going to regret the answer in the morning but for now, he decided to stop thinking. 

*** 

Gojyo climbed up the stairs two at a time, almost whistling... 

_Sanzo-chan's going to be surprised..._

Without warning, Gojyo found himself being attacked by a barrage of talismans as he came around the spiral staircase. 

_When did Sanzo ever get proficient with talismans? That was that guy…whatsisname… Rikudo's technique… Oh, no matter… If Sanzo-chan wants to play some more…_

Gojyo whipped out his shakuji and destroyed the incoming missiles and put himself in ready stance.****

**~TBC~** ****

**Author's Notes:**

[1] Hakkai *cough, cough* 

- So…a lemon might or might not follow afterwards… Still depends on what Sanzo-chan and Hakkai get up to…though the odds are that there will be one...when they get up to it... 

Sanzo: *blushes* You hentai! *starts to shoot at Silrayn*   
Silrayn: *wears question marks (???)* Huh, hentai?   
Hakkai: I don't think she meant it that way.   
Silrayn: Meant what in what way?   
Sanzo: *blushes a bit more*   
Hakkai: @_@ 


	8. Reeling In

**In Season**   
GENSOUMADEN SAIYUKI FANFICTION

**Part 8 - Reeling in**

Gyokumen Koushi fiddled as she awaited the foolish half-breed. She stood at the side of the door where she'd thrown the talismans. Her silvery blue robes were so awkward when it came to real fighting that she almost wished she had the foresight to wear something less constricting. She didn't like the way the man was making his progress through the stairs. He was showing more strength than she would think for a mere half-breed. 

_I'm impressed…though it's probably the effect of the rut-heat running through his blood…but still…a very strong man…_

Gyumao used to be just as strong in his prime before his imprisonment. The would-be empress remembered well those days when they had the world at their feet. She had succeeded in seducing Gyumao away from his wife, that insipid princess. She loved those days when they were so in love. 

_He could kill hundreds of thousands of humans and return in time for supper...he was that strong..._

Gyokumen Koushi had always despised the weak humans and their adherents and had no qualms about using the Zero Wave to help revive her lord and only love. 

_They are nothing to me...but back to the subject at hand..._

She really needed to come up with a way to discourage the man permanently. 

_Hmmm…that will take some doing…_

It always did take a lot to discourage a male in heat. 

*** 

Sanzo turned about for the second time trying to be comfortable at his edge of the bed as Hakkai slept unconcerned on the other side of the bed. The youkai seemed unconcerned but Sanzo knew better. 

_Oh, I should…by now…_

After being chased, determinedly and cunningly by the brunet, he should. 

_I'm not an idiot after all…_

The monk didn't know what irritated him more. That Hakkai had gone all predatory, in the first place, to insist they stay in the same bed or that the brunet had gone back to being coy and innocent after the suggestion. 

_Can't he just get it over and done with? He's going to jump me and we both know it! Why doesn't he do it already?_

Sanzo was shocked at the turn his thoughts were taking. 

_What am I thinking? I don't want this to go any further… I don't want sex with him…_

He sighed, then glared at Hakkai as the brunet's arm snaked around him to draw him close. The man didn't react to his glare and the green eyes stayed shut. 

_Oh well, no use dwelling on the situation…_

Sanzo sighed again as the youkai nuzzled at the nape of his neck like a teddy bear. He closed his eyes. A few moments later, he was fast asleep. 

*** 

Hakkai nearly sighed in satisfaction as Sanzo settled in his arms. He had been awake all along. 

_Soon, soon…_

The green-eyed youkai knew he had the blond where he wanted. There would be no rivals for the man's attention. He could afford to take the time for a proper courtship, or as much a proper courtship as the monk's peculiar attitude would allow. 

_It had been a chase up to this point since I have to eliminate the competition first… But from here on out…I'm going to go at it leisurely…_

Sanzo wouldn't know what hit him. 

*** 

"There you are, Yaone." Kougaiji said, popping out of the bushes. 

"Don't come any closer." Yaone said. Her voice was uneven after having swallowed a shriek of surprise. Her heart fluttered like a wild dragon ready to escape her ribcage. 

_I've no real choice, even if it is Kougaiji-sama…_

Yaone knew that it wasn't really Kougaiji talking, just the heat in his veins. It would not change no matter how she wished it otherwise. 

"Yaone-chan, have I ever hurt you? Been mean to you even?" Kougaiji made a hurt face. 

"No, Kougaiji-sama, you haven't, but…" Yaone said but her hold on her spear wavered. She just couldn't take the wounded look on her beloved Kougaiji-sama's face. 

_Wait a minute, beloved? When did I ever think that way?_

"Then why don't we walk a ways and talk about…things? I won't do anything you don't want…" Kougaiji said, a catch of pleading in his voice. 

Yaone pondered at the thought for the moment, then knowing she would probably regret it afterwards… 

"All right…" 

"Good, let's walk off a ways to the cave I saw… No use having people interrupt us." 

_There's no probably about it…_

Yaone _will_ regret this in the morning… 

*** 

Gyokumen Koushi swore as she slammed the door of the tower. She was fast running out of options. 

_I would try to kill the idiot…but…_

She couldn't rate a hit from where she was positioned. The half-breed was just too fast and too adept at dodging her throws. 

_I have to think of a new plan…_

Before she could do anything, the door crashed in to reveal the half-breed, a little dusty and scratched but not at all worse for wear. 

*** 

"Sanzo-chan, Ollie-ollie-ox-and-free!" Gojyo crowed out as he broke down the wooden door to the highest room in the tower. 

_Yes, I did it! He's played hard to get long enough… He's got no where to go… He's mine now…_

His thoughts of triumph were suddenly interrupted when he saw that the object of his obsession was not in the room. 

_She's a hot looking babe though…_

*** 

Koushi had a very bad feeling about this. The half-breed was staring at her with glazed eyes. He looked quite out of it. 

"What's a lovely lady all alone in a place like this?" 

_Okay, that was _so_ original…_

"None of your business." She retorted. Her eyes were darting all over the room for some means of escape. 

_I could try jumping over the window or teleporting…that's it…_

"Hey, I know I don't look much but…" 

Koushi didn't deign answer, she teleported. 

*** 

"Yaone, do you like Doku?" Kougaiji asked. 

Yaone didn't know what to say to that. Her previous thoughts began to resurface. 

Kougaiji was always there for her. He valued her and she valued him as her leader. Dokugakuji was a comrade at arms and friend. She never thought of them anymore than that but…she wasn't certain anymore. 

_What am I doing?_ _I must run away… I can't have them catch up to me…killing each other over me... I'm just not worth that..._

_We're probably the only two people here that Kougaiji-sama can be certain of to watch his back. I'd like us to be friends._

_Was that all there is to it?_

Dokugakuji had stared at her with respect and caring of one comrade to another. It was something that she knew was right. 

_So right…_

She didn't want anything more to it. 

_Walking through the burning carnage in the camp, the sound of her name echoing with desperateness in his voice and wondered…_

_All this for me… Kougaiji-sama?_

There lay her uncertainty. She didn't find anything wrong with that concern. She didn't find the need to pull away… 

"Kougaiji-sama, I…" 

_What do you want, Yaone?_

_Me, if I had a chance... I'd have stayed to take care of my younger brother. He's such a troublemaker..._

_What do you want, Yaone?_

_Feeling of strength that was there for her to lean on..._

_What do you want, Yaone?_

Yaone remembered her time on the streets. She had so many wants then. 

_More like needs…_

_Loneliness and uncertainty, a life on the streets…of not knowing when she was going to eat or sleep…when tomorrow will find her…_

_What do I want? Competence…a place of my own? Security? Companionship? What?_

She had all those now. No matter what she did. She can't imagine Kougaiji-sama dumping her out in the streets again no matter what the outcome of this week's insanity but... 

_Do I want more…?_

"No, not at all, Kougaiji-sama." 

_What do I want?_

_Of brief companionship, swift and fleeting…then… Feeling of strength that was there for her to lean on... Concern more than that of a friend…_

…Or so she hoped. It was a fragile thing that hope, easily dashed, and there was no reason to think that Kougaiji-sama… 

"Are you sure? If you do… Then I'll leave you alone…" 

"Can you Kougaiji-sama?" Yaone said sadly. She knew better than anyone did how male youkai were having a hard time resisting the urges of this time. She'd been chased hard these past few days. 

"I will…try…if that's what you want…" 

_Maybe…there's hope…after all…_

Yaone admitted that a tiny part of her might be attracted to her master after all. 

"Kougaiji-sama…" 

"And one thing more… Can you lose that -sama?" 

"Aa, Kougaiji…san" Yaone lost her train of thought at the use of such disrespectful familiarity. 

"No, just Kougaiji and you didn't answer my question." Kougaiji said, his gray eyes were on Yaone making her feel shy and warm at the same time. The light in them as intense as it was in battle. With those eyes focused on her, it was impossible for Yaone to lie. 

_What of Dokugakuji…?_

" Kou--gaiji…I don't like Dokugakuji…that way at all…" Yaone blurted out. 

And it was true. Yaone could see it now. She didn't feel the same tingle with Doku. That was plain to see. 

_He's just a comrade…that's why I couldn't answer his question before…_

_What does Yaone want for Yaone?_

_I want…I want to protect and serve Kougaiji-sama because that's all…I could've had…_

"So will you go with me, now?" Kougaiji asked, giving Yaone a look that melted her knees. 

"Hai." Yaone replied. 

_I seem to be doing things that I'm going to regret later…but I suppose it's better to have something to regret than have nothing at all…_

*** 

Somewhere _farther_ West… 

"Hey, neat trick." The half-breed said, as he and Koushi materialized inside a stone room. 

Gyokumen Koushi sighed. 

_It figures he'd have grabbed onto me…_

"By the way, I didn't quite catch your name. Mine's Sha Gojyo by the way…" 

_Might as well, it might distract him a bit…_

"Koushi." She said as she tried to squirm out of his grip. 

"My what a lovely name for a lovely lady." Gojyo said. 

_And that's really cute, really _original_…_

"A lovely lady shouldn't be lonely at a time like this…" Gojyo said, pulling her tighter into his embrace so that she could feel the heat of his body and his sleek muscles rubbing onto her. The sudden warmth in her loins startled her. 

_It has been a long time…maybe I should…_

She was startled by the thought that she didn't manage to protest when the half-breed managed to tumble them onto the convenient bed and ravage her lips with hot sloppy kisses. 

*** 

Sanzo woke up with a start, aware that he was sharing his bed with a youkai in heat. He looked over the other side of the bed to find it empty. 

_This is quite unexpected… Hakkai didn't try anything at all during the night?_

Light morning sunshine warmed Sanzo's face as he rose from the bed. Hakkai was no where to be seen around their room. It was disconcerting. 

_Our room? When did I start to think this as our room? Maybe breakfast is in order…to clear my head…_

There was no use fretting about it. Travelling on the road, Sanzo knew that food was sometimes hard to come by. He learned to take the opportunity to eat when he could. 

_Besides, I haven't eaten decently since all this fuss started…_

He went down to the tavern for breakfast. 

"Good morning, Sanzo. I've taken the liberty of ordering breakfast for us." Hakkai said from where he was sitting in an intimate corner of the small tavern. 

"Hn." 

_What's he up to now?_

"They have that noodle soup that you like so much." Hakkai continued. 

"Hn." Sanzo said, puzzled at the mundane conversation. 

_Shouldn't he be jumping my bones by now? Whatever, I'm not going to let him ruin my breakfast…_

He sat down to wait for the serving lass who bustled across the aisle with a tray. He noted the number of dishes that was on tray but refused to comment. All the dishes on the tray were put in front of them. Sanzo still refused to say anything. 

_I am not saying a word…_

"I thought you might like to try some of the inn's specialties." Hakkai said, pulling off the covers. 

_Oysters, Sea Urchins and Scallops in Sze Chuan Sauce? Wine with Ginseng and Snake Essence? _[1] 

Sanzo nearly sweat-dropped. 

_I should have known…_

Sanzo still kept his silence, picking up his chopsticks to start eating his noodles. 

"The oysters are particularly tasty." Hakkai said as he got one with his chopsticks. 

Sanzo realized too late that the youkai was about to do and couldn't excuse himself. 

_Is he going to…? Yes, he is…_

"Now open wide…" The brunet said, suiting action to words. 

"This is ridiculous…Hakkai, what would the other patrons think?" 

"There's no one but us two, Sanzo." 

The blond monk looked around. Belatedly, he noted that the green-eyed youkai was right there was no other people in the room with them. 

"What did you do?" Sanzo burst out, though he thought he knew what the other man had done. 

"I reserve the entire tavern for the whole morning so we can have it all to ourselves." 

Sanzo nearly groaned at the admission. 

_I wonder what the Three Buddhas are going to think about this charge to the Gold Card…_

Not that Sanzo cared about what those three busybodies thought but he liked to have some privacy. In fact, he felt downright savage about the indirect vengeance he got every time he charged the Card. 

_Travel with three youkai to the West, hn! Should've known there was more to it than that. They deserved every bit of headache that our bills cost them… Worth all the headaches and aggravation these three cost me…_

"Now, Sanzo…" 

"I don't need to eat that so early in the morning…" Sanzo started to say but the nearness of Hakkai's body and the vivid green eyes forestalled him. The brunet was so close and so warm that he made Sanzo feel alternately cold and warm at the same time. Green eyes bore into his making him weak-kneed. 

_I don't think he needs to feed me anymore aphrodisiacs…his presence is enough…_

Sanzo sighed and opened his mouth and ate the oyster. He felt like he lost more than battle at that action. The meal continued without incident, except Sanzo resigned to eating whatever Hakkai offered him. 

*** 

A cozy little cave somewhere… 

_Time to get breakfast…_

Lirin woke up from the branch-bed that she and Goku were sleeping on the night before, acutely aware that her stomach was grumbling. 

"Arigato, Goku." Lirin said. She tried to stand up but found herself being lifted up. 

"Goku…" 

"Not to worry…" 

He gently set her down on a rock inside the cave made comfortable with a few branches and leaves. Though she could walk her ankle still felt a little uncomfortable from her nasty spill. Goku refused to let her walk on it when he saw her limping. 

_He seems so considerate for an enemy… I wonder what he's thinking of…_

"I hope these are enough for you." Goku asked, he was hovering expectantly over her. 

The suspicious turn in Lirin's thoughts were derailed. Her eyes widened at the amount of food accumulated in front of her. There were several kinds of fish, cattails, roots and plantain. 

_He must have denuded the forest to get this for me…_

"I can get you more if you like." 

"This is…quite enough. Arigato, Goku!" Lirin said. She forgot herself enough to give Goku a hug. 

Suddenly, the carefree atmosphere changed to something else. Goku leaned down suddenly to kiss her on the lips. 

_I guess I know now what this is all about…_

**~ And yes, don't you hate silrayn by now? ^^;;; TBC ~**

**Author's Notes:**

* For those who are curious, this is just the 5th day btw. 

[1] Aphrodisiacs: Oysters, chili pepper, ginseng and snakes. The last two are Chinese in origin. ^__~ 

Silrayn: They haven't gotten into bed yet. Blame the "girls" for that!   
_*A shot nearly clips off Silrayn's furry ear and nearly hitting the Ayan-kitsune 'stuff toy' hanging on it*_   
Silrayn: Ah, ehehehe, And Sanzo, of course. _^^;;;_   
Ayan-kitsune: snarufrufrufruf _*jumps off to bite Sanzo's gun hand*_

I know you guys want to murder me by now but I can't seem to get to the lemons in this chapter. See you in the next one. _*ducks all the tomatoes thrown her way* _This is probably the longest chapter in "In Season" (though you guys probably didn't appreciate it as much *wolfy ears wilt*, very little Hakkai x Sanzo...). I had hoped the Gojyo x Koushi stuff more than made up for it! Did anyone see the Gojyo x Gyokumen Koushi coming (except incandescens-san)? BWAHAHAHAHA! I'm _SO_ evil. 

There are more surprises in the next chapter after the (hopefully quickly produced) lemons. I hope you guys aren't expecting much since I'm a very bad lemon writer. 

**About the lemons: **I've had enough votes for Hakkai x Sanzo but I'm wondering about the other pairs (No Goku x Lirin lemon though. *Thinks about Goku and Lirin in the same bed and falls over with her eyes saying TILT x_x*).****

**Next Update: ** "Raven's Pendant" - Kurama's giving me trouble but hopefully he'll stop being obstinate.   
****   
  
  



End file.
